Visakhapatnam hosts SIMBEX 2026; sea phase scheduled for October 24–26

Visakhapatnam is hosting the 33rd Singapore–India Maritime Bilateral Exercise, SIMBEX 2026, from October 21 to 26. The Singapore navy’s RSS Supreme arrived in the city on October 21, according to a Ministry of Defence release issued that evening.

The opening ceremony took place aboard INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta on October 21, with senior officers from the two navies attending.

The programme separates harbour activities from operations at sea. The harbour phase, scheduled for October 21–23, includes professional exchanges, visits between ships, sports and planning conferences. The sea phase is scheduled for October 24–26 in the Bay of Bengal, covering anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare drills, seamanship and tactical manoeuvres.

For Visakhapatnam, the event brings a bilateral naval engagement to the city. The ministry describes the exercise as a way to strengthen professional cooperation and the two navies’ ability to operate together. The engagement began in 1994 under the name Exercise Lion King.

The forthcoming sea-phase activities remain scheduled events; this report does not present them as already completed. Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, October 21, 2026.