Singapore Navy hosts its first international maritime review

Over 40 ships and 44 nations attended the Republic of Singapore Navy’s first ever international maritime review to May 15.

The event took place at RSS Singapura, Changi Naval Base and was attended by more than 30 navy chiefs, vice navy chiefs and directors-general of coast guards, and more than 40 flag rank officers, according to the Singapore ministry of defense.

The international review is part of a series of events held to mark the Singapore Navy’s 50th anniversary.

Speaking at the review, Singapore president Tony Tan Keng Yam said that, “The gathering of navies around the world for the first Singapore IMR is a testament to the strong friendships and extensive network Singapore enjoys across the world.”

The Republic of Singapore Navy’s Formidable-class frigates, RSS Formidable, RSS Stalwart and RSS Supreme, led flotillas of warships in three separate multinational group sails into Singapore from 9 to 13 May 2017.

In the Malacca Strait, RSS Formidable met up with ships from India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Over in the South China Sea, RSS Stalwart rendezvoused with ships from Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Thailand, the United States of America and Vietnam, while their sister ship RSS Supreme was joined by ships from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, New Zealand and Russia. The ships conducted manoeuvring exercises and communication drills during the multinational group sails.

The 6th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) Multilateral Sea Exercise (WMSX) was held in conjunction with the multinational group sails. During the WMSX, the navies practised the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, following the use of the protocol in the WMSX in 2015.