Indian Navy conducts naval exercise with Russia in the Bay of Bengal | India News

NEW DELHI: The navies of India and Russia began a two-day mega military exercise in the Bay of Bengal on Friday to further consolidate their interoperability to address various security challenges, authorities said.
A wide range of activities across the spectrum of maritime operations, such as surface and anti-aircraft drills, shooting exercises, helicopter operations and refueling at sea will be part of the 11th edition of the biennial exercise. Indra Navy, they said.
The two countries launched the exercise at a time when India is embroiled in a bitter border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh.
The Indian Navy has significantly expanded its deployment to the Indian Ocean Region, deploying a plethora of warships and submarines following the border line to send a message to Beijing. The maritime space around the Straits of Malacca is very critical to China’s supply chain through sea lanes.

“The exercise aims to enhance interoperability, enhance understanding and assimilate best practices between the two navies. It represents the long-term strategic relationship between the two navies,” said Indian Navy spokesman Commander Vivek Madhwal.
He said the exercise has matured over the years with an increase in scope, complexity of operations and level of involvement.
The Indian Navy is represented by the Ranvijay guided missile destroyer, the Sahyadri indigenous frigate and the Shakti fleet tanker, along with their integral helicopters.
Assets deployed in the exercise by the Russian Navy include the destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, the destroyer Admiral Tributs, and the Pacific Fleet tanker Boris Butoma, which are normally based in Vladivostok.
“The main objective of the Indra Navy exercise is to further consolidate the interoperability built by the two Navies over the years and also to improve understanding and procedures for multifaceted maritime operations,” said Commander Madhwal.
He said the exercise would help further boost mutual trust and cooperation between the two navies and strengthen the long-standing friendly bond between the two countries.
The exercise takes place when Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is in Moscow to attend a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The Indian Navy has been steadily expanding cooperation with like-minded navies.
In July, the Indian Navy conducted a military exercise with a United States Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The USS Nimitz is the largest warship in the world.
Four front-line warships of the Indian Navy participated in the exercise with the United States Navy. The US carrier strike group was in transit through the Indian Ocean region on its way from the South China Sea.
The US Navy’s Carrier Strike Group comprises the USS Nimitz, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson.
The Indian Navy conducted similar exercises with the Japanese Navy in June.