Indian Navy training squadron on port call in Singapore under Act East Policy

Singapore: Ships of the First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy, INS Tir, Shardul, Sujata and the Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, are engaged in a range of training, professional and social programmes during their port call here.

The four ships arrived in Singapore on January 15, as part of a Long Range Training Deployment (LRTD) to Southeast Asia, and will remain till January 18.

The visit underscores the importance of strengthening bilateral ties between India and Singapore under India’s Act East Policy, the Indian High Commission here said in a statement on Friday.

The deployment is part of the training curriculum of the 110th Integrated Officers’ Training Course (IOTC) and also marks a significant event in India-ASEAN relations, with 2026 being celebrated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, it said.

After Singapore, the squadron is scheduled to undertake port calls in Indonesia and Thailand.

The high commission said the deployment aims to provide comprehensive operational and cross-cultural exposure to officer trainees while reinforcing India’s sustained maritime engagement with Southeast Asian nations and its vision for a free, open and inclusive Indian Ocean Region.

The First Training Squadron plays a key role in training officer cadets of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries, providing hands-on experience in seamanship, navigation, ship handling and maritime operations.

The 110th IOTC includes six international officer trainees from Maldives, Myanmar and Vietnam. Personnel from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force are also embarked, enhancing jointness among the services.

During the stay, the First Training Squadron is undertaking professional interactions, training engagements and social and cultural exchanges with the Republic of Singapore Navy and local organisations.

“These include structured training exchanges, professional visits, sports, social and cultural interactions with Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), local institutions and Indian diaspora,” the high commission in its statement added.

As part of cultural outreach, the Indian Navy Band performed at ‘Our Tampines Hub’ on Friday and is scheduled to hold the ‘Laharika’ Indian Naval Band Concert at the Global Indian International School on Saturday evening.

“These engagements are designed to further enhance interoperability, mutual trust, understanding and exchange of best practices between the two friendly navies, while carrying India’s message of goodwill and friendship to citizens and the large Indian diaspora in Singapore,” the high commission’s statement said.

It said that the visit underscores the Indian Navy’s emphasis on training excellence whilst contributing to maritime diplomacy, goodwill and cooperative approach to maritime security with Singapore and regional partners.