The INS Kulish Singapore port call began on Tuesday, when the Indian Navy corvette berthed at Tuas Terminal for an Operational Turn Round (OTR). The ship is in Singapore as part of the Indian Navy's ongoing Eastern Fleet Operational Deployment.

An OTR is a short halt in a friendly port. The crew takes on fuel and stores, carries out routine maintenance and gets some rest before sailing again.

According to the Indian Navy, the visit forms part of its engagement with Singapore and shows the strong ties between the two countries. The Navy said the stop allows continued interaction between the two sides and reinforces the importance both attach to bilateral maritime engagement. It also tied the visit to India's commitment to collective maritime security, regional cooperation and a safe, secure and inclusive maritime environment.

INS Kulish Singapore programme includes call on High Commissioner

During the INS Kulish Singapore stop, the ship's Commanding Officer will call on the High Commissioner of India to Singapore.

Dr Shilpak Ambule heads the High Commission of India in Singapore, which is located on Grange Road. The mission held its own wreath-laying ceremony at Kranji on Independence Day in August, according to reports at the time, attended by families of Indian Armed Forces personnel posted in Singapore, veterans and members of the Indian community.

Wreath at Kranji War Memorial for Indian soldiers of the Second World War

The Commanding Officer will also lay a wreath at the Kranji War Memorial. The Navy said the ceremony marks the historical association between India and Singapore.

Kranji lies on the north side of Singapore Island, overlooking the Straits of Johore, about 22 km from the city. The war cemetery there holds the Singapore Memorial, which carries the names of more than 24,000 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War who have no known grave. Thousands of them served in the Indian Army. The names run across 12 columns.

Separate memorial for cremated Indian soldiers

Behind the main memorial stands the Singapore Cremation Memorial. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, it commemorates almost 800 casualties, mostly from the Indian forces, whose remains were cremated in keeping with their religious beliefs.

Indian troops fought in the defence of Malaya and Singapore in 1941 and 1942. When Singapore fell in February 1942, about 130,000 Australian, British and Indian soldiers became prisoners of war, the Commission's records show. After the war, smaller cemeteries across the island were closed and the dead moved to Kranji.

INS Kulish arrives after Cambodia and the Philippines

Singapore is the latest stop for the ship on this deployment. In September, INS Kulish became the first Indian warship to berth at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia.

From Cambodia, it sailed to the Philippines. There, INS Kulish and the stealth frigate INS Sahyadri reached Subic Bay for the 23rd ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security Joint Cooperation Activity. The two ships worked alongside the navies of the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States in search and rescue, hydrographic survey, medical evacuation and deck landing serials. The activity closed on 25 September.

Kora class corvette built at Kolkata

INS Kulish is a Kora class missile corvette built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata. It carries the pennant number P63 and has been in service with the Navy since 2001.

This is the second Eastern Fleet visit to Singapore this year. INS Udaygiri, INS Shakti and INS Kavaratti called at Changi Naval Base in July.