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Indian Navy warships set sail for exercises in Mediterranean and Atlantic
NEW DELHI: Aiming to expand its strategic presence in faraway waters, the Indian Navy has embarked upon an ambitious four-month voyage to conduct a series of exercises in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, including with the British, French, Russian and German navies.Four Indian warships INS Delhi, a guided missile destroyer, INS Beas and INS Brahmaputra, both guided missile frigates and INS Aditya, a fleet replenishment tanker, have set sail on different dates passing through the Arabian and Mediterranean seas towards Portsmouth in the southwest of United Kingdom for the annual Konkan series between June 20 and 25 and then head towards French naval base of Brest for annual Varuna series between June 30 and July 4, naval officials said. On the way up and return, these warships would conduct passage exercises with the Navies of Russia, Germany, Algiers, the Netherlands, Israel, Turkey, Italy, Egypt, Portugal and Oman besides making port calls in Spain, Italy, and Morocco, the officials said. While the deployment of the Indian naval fleet underlines the force's strategic prowess, exercises with the British Royal and French Navies provides its men and material the experience of operating and fighting in different hydrographic and meteorological conditions prevailing in the Atlantic Ocean. Significantly, the British Navy is sending two guided missile frigates -- HMS Westminster and HMS Lancaster, nuclear submarine, a replenishment tanker, HMS Trafalgar besides Reserve Fleet Auxiliary ships Fort Rosalie and Mounts Bay, Fixed Wing aircraft and a complement of Special Forces. The French are sending a guided missile destroyer, Prima Uguet, guided missile frigate, Le Henaff and nuclear submarine Emeraude besides long-range maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique, multi role combat aircraft Rafale and Seaking helicopter. The two exercises would witness surface, underwater and air engagements. Besides providing an opportunity of allowing its personnel and ships to operate in different waters, the exercise will also help the navy to work towards interoperability. The Indian Navy, tasked with the responsibility of coastal security, is also studying the models in Europe on counts of perception and management of deployment that need to be met. The exercises with Germany are considered significant since relations between the two Navies is picking up. The Indian Navy is looking to benefit from the use of submarines with high-tech equipment such as software detection radio technique and torpedoes among other things, the official said. Posted by: john frum 2009-05-30 |
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