Agni Warrior 2024: The bilateral military exercise "Agni Warrior 2024" between India and Singapore is set to take place at the Devlali Field Firing Ranges in Maharashtra from November 28 to November 30. Organised as part of professional military collaboration, the exercise aims to strengthen interactions between the artillery units of both nations. Details of the event were shared on X by the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army). The exercise will include the exchange of best practices and advanced techniques between the Indian Army and Singapore Armed Forces, aiming to deepen military cooperation and operational understanding.
Another interesting component that the exercise will see is providing a platform for cultural exchanges, thereby strengthening the bond between the two nations. The exercise comes a month after Dr Ng Eng Hen, Singapore's Minister of Defence, visited India to co-chair the sixth India-Singapore Defence Ministers' Dialogue in New Delhi, with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.
Aim of Exercise Agni Warrior
- To showcase joint firepower planning, execution and use of New Generation Equipment by the Artillery arm of both armies.
- To include participation by both sides in a joint computer war-game as part of the joint planning process.
- To conduct expert academic discussions on modern trends in Artillery and refinement of the Artillery planning process.
- To achieve the aim of enhancing mutual understanding of drills & procedures and improving interoperability between the two armies.
- To promote mutual trust and camaraderie, showcasing the commitment of both nations to regional security and stability.
India-Singapore relations
With 2025 set to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, both Ministers had agreed to further step up defence cooperation and achieve new milestones. They also consented to extend the bilateral agreement on the Joint Military Training Army for an additional five years, stated the press release. Recognising their natural partnership for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, both sides agreed to enhance industry cooperation, focusing on collaboration in niche domains such as automation and artificial intelligence.
The Ministry of External Affairs noted that India-Singapore relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Singapore in September 2024. With a shared history, a long tradition of friendship based on trust and mutual respect, and extensive cooperation across a wide range of areas, India-Singapore cooperation has deepened and diversified over the years.
