India signs major naval pact with Singapore

New Delhi: In a major defence initiative, India announced on Friday that it had inked a pact with Singapore between the two navies for “Coordination, Logistics and Services Support” for naval ships, submarines and naval aircraft.

The reference to logistics and services support for naval platforms including submarines is quite significant as it details the extent of strategic cooperation between India and tiny Singapore.

It will also be a major boost in Indian naval access to the south-east Asian region where China has been displaying economic and military assertiveness. 

The pact on defence, one among eight in various fields, was inked after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.