India-Singapore maritime ties in focus as INS Kulish docks at Tuas Terminal

The port call reflects the strong maritime ties between India and Singapore and provides an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral defence engagement, according to an official government statement.

During the visit, the Commanding Officer of INS Kulish will call on the High Commissioner of India to Singapore. The officer will also lay a wreath at the Kranji War Memorial, commemorating the historical links between the two countries.

The visit underscores India's commitment to strengthening collective maritime security and promoting regional cooperation. It also reinforces the shared vision of India and Singapore for a safe, secure and inclusive maritime environment, the statement said.

India-Singapore Defence Cooperation

Defence cooperation between India and Singapore is guided by the Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2003, which was renewed under the Enhanced Agreement for Defence Cooperation in 2015, as per the Indian Embassy in Singapore website.

The two countries have signed several agreements covering areas such as white-shipping information exchange, joint air force training, defence industry cooperation, naval cooperation, mutual coordination, logistics and services support, and submarine rescue cooperation.

India and Singapore also maintain structured defence engagements involving political leadership, the three armed forces, the Department of Defence Production and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Singapore's Defence Minister, Dr Ng Eng Hen, visited India from October 21 to 23, 2024, for the sixth round of the Defence Ministers' Dialogue.

India's Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, visited Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2025 and called on Singapore's Defence Minister, Chan Chun Sing.

Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar visited Singapore in May 2026 for the 16th Defence Policy Dialogue and the Shangri-La Dialogue. During the visit, he also called on Chan Chun Sing.

Joint Military Exercises and Maritime Engagement

India and Singapore conduct bilateral military exercises across all three services. These include Exercise Agni Warrior for the Army, Exercise SIMBEX for the Navy and Joint Military Training for the Air Force.

The 32nd edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) was held in Singapore in July-August 2025. The fourth edition of the India-Singapore Joint Military Exercise, Exercise Bold Kurukshetra, was conducted in India in August 2025.

The 13th edition of Exercise Agni Warrior was held in India from October 5 to December 11, 2024, while the 12th edition of the India-Singapore Joint Military Training exercise for the air forces took place from October 4 to December 16, 2024.

India hosted the fourth edition of the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) in November 2024. Singapore also co-hosted the inaugural ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise in 2023 and has participated in every edition of the Indian Navy's biennial Exercise MILAN since its inception in 1995.

Indian Navy's Growing Presence in Singapore

In 2025, 11 Indian Navy ships had visited Singapore for operational turnarounds, goodwill visits or exercises, with INS Nistar making the latest such visit in September 2025 for the multinational Exercise Pacific Reach 2025.

India's naval engagement with Singapore continued in 2026. The Indian Air Force's Sarang Helicopter Display Team participated in the Singapore Airshow in February, while INS Sunayna visited Singapore from April 26 to 29 as part of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR initiative.

Three ships of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet — INS Udaygiri, INS Shakti and INS Kavaratti — also visited Singapore from July 1 to 4, 2026, as part of the fleet's operational deployment to Southeast Asia.

In addition to joint exercises and port calls, military personnel from both countries participate in short- and long-term training courses under various exchange programmes, further strengthening professional ties and defence cooperation.