New Delhi: In a bid to bolster with other nations, all three wings of the Indian defence force participate in various bilateral or multilateral exercises conducted throughout the year. While some of these exercises are hosted by India, others are organised by various nations. In a recent development, the Indian Navy and Indonesian Navy are gearing up to participate in a bilateral exercise to exchange their war experience and learn more about the equipment used by both nations.
Wide range of professional interaction
During the port call, the naval warriors from both nations will engage in a wide range of professional interactions, including sports fixtures, joint yoga sessions, and cross-decks visits to boost mutual understanding and cooperation between the two navies.
In order to further strengthen the high level of interoperability that already exists between the two navies, the two ships will take part in an MPX at sea with the Indonesian Navy after the completion of the operational turnaround.
Indian ships to participate in MPX
During the Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX), India will be represented by two frontline Indian Naval ships, INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata. Both ships received a warm welcome by the Indonesian Navy upon their arrival in Jakarta on Monday. The ships were deployed on a mission in South Eastern IOR.
About the ships
While INS Kolkata is the first indigenously designed and built stealth destroyer of the Project-15A class, INS Sahyadri, a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate, is the third indigenously designed and built Project-17 class stealth frigate. Notably, both frigates have been developed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., Mumbai. While INS Kolkata can achieve a maximum speed of 30 knots, INS Sahyadri can be operated at a maximum speed of 32 knots.
Defence relations between India and Indonesia
Soon after the independence of India and Indonesia, both countries embarked on cooperative relations in the field of defence and security. Over the years, the defence relations between the two nations have become stronger. Recently, both countries concluded bilateral Exercise Samudra Shakti-23 in the South China Sea.
Source : NewsNine
