Warships of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA Navy) have successfully carried out bilateral naval exercises in the East China Sea.
As part of the half-day exercise, the RSN’s Formidable-class frigate RSS Intrepid and PLA navy’s Jiangkai II-class frigate Yulin executed manoeuvre and gunnery firing drills, as well as naval helicopter cross-deck landings.
Before the exercise started, RSS Intrepid executed a port call at Ma Xie Naval Base in Zhanjiang between 30 August and 3 September, with the personnel of both navies getting involved in exercise planning and vessel visits.
According to the Singapore navy, the professional and personal interactions at the leadership and working levels have enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between the RSN and the PLA navy.
Last month, the Singapore navy successfully completed the 20th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise together with a US counterpart, which was aimed at enhancing cooperation between the services.
The two-week exercise involved execution of a range of shore-based and at-sea training events aimed at addressing shared maritime security priorities, while boosting interoperability.
Image: RSN’s RSS Intrepid together with China’s Yulin during bilateral naval exercise. Photo: courtesy of the Government of Singapore.
