NEW DELHI: As part of the Navy’s ongoing operational deployment to Southeast Asia with an eye firmly on China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific, three Indian warships have reached the Philippines while another is exercising with the Singapore Navy.The deployments of stealth frigate INS Satpura for the bilateral “Simbex” exercise with the Singapore Navy as well as guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi, anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan and fleet tanker INS Shakti to Manila “is a testimony to the Indian Navy’s commitment to strengthen partnerships in the Indo-Pacific”, according to officers.Leading the three warships in Manila, Eastern Fleet commander Rear Admiral Susheel Menon said India and the Philippines shared the commitment towards maintaining stability and enhancing maritime security in the region, emphasizing the importance of such deployments in promoting understanding, trust and cooperation among friendly maritime forces.The warships will undertake a bilateral naval exercise with the Philippines, which will focus on joint manoeuvres and communication protocols to improve preparedness, build mutual trust and strengthen operational synergy in the maritime domain.INS Satpura, in turn, is participating in the 32nd edition of the Simbex exercise, marking yet another chapter in the strong and enduring maritime partnership between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).“The exercise involves execution of a comprehensive array of advanced naval operations. These include air defence exercises, cross-deck helicopter operations, precision targeting with surface and aerial platforms, complex manoeuvring drills and VBSS (visit, board, search, and seizure) operations,” an officer said.After the $375 million contract to supply three anti-ship coastal batteries of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines in Jan 2022, India has also stepped up discussions on arms exports to other Asean countries like Indonesia and Vietnam. Apart from Brahmos missiles, which have been developed jointly with Russia, India also plans to sell the indigenous Akash air defence missile systems, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25 km, to countries like Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.