Indian Navy’s first training squadron arrives at Changi Naval Base, Singapore
Visakhapatnam: Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS), comprising INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, arrived at Changi Naval Base, Singapore. The visit epitomises strong maritime partnerships and sustained engagement with Southeast Asian nations in line with India’s Act East Policy.
It also enhances maritime security cooperation between the two navies, highlighting India’s leadership and commitment to the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), emphasising a vital step in strengthening maritime cooperative engagement in line with the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth across Regions).
The squadron that arrived on January15 is on a training deployment to the South East Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The deployment gains added significance as the year 2026 is being celebrated as the ‘Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – India Year of Maritime Cooperation 2026’.
During the visit, personnel from the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) engage in several harbour activities and professional interactions aimed at capability enhancement and augmenting maritime cooperation.
A series of structured training exchanges, joint yoga sessions and sports fixtures between trainees of both the navies form a part of the activities.
Cultural interactions will feature performances by the Indian Naval Band at prominent public locations in Singapore, while the ships will be open for visits by school children during their stay.
On arrival, Dr Shilpak Ambule, High Commissioner of India to Singapore, interacted with the trainees of 1TS. Senior Officer 1TS and Commanding Officers called on the Commander of the Maritime Training and Doctrine Command (MTDC). Professional experiences were shared during a visit by a team of International Liaison Officers from the Information Fusion Centre. Community engagements and interactions with the Republic of Singapore Navy formed part of the visit. Visits to the Information Fusion Centre and RSN Museum, friendly sports fixtures and an outreach activity at Sree Narayana Old Age and Nursing Home were some of the other highlights.
