Visit of Japanese Naval Ships to Kochi
Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Uraga and Awaji made port call at Kochi from 14 -16 Feb 23. The ship’s crew visited professional training schools and ship of Southern Naval Command. During the visit, they were familarised with various training facilities and activities undertaken at the Training Command of the Indian Navy. Visit and professional interaction onboard Japanese ships were conducted to enhance interoperability and share best practices between the Navies.
INS Sumedha Visits Abu Dhabi
INS Sumedha visited Abu Dhabi, UAE to participate in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defence Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defence Exhibition), from 20 to 24 Feb 2023 and showcased the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building and underscore the ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiative. INS Sumedha is the third ship of the indigenously built Saryu class Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPV) and was indigenously at Goa Shipyard Limited. She is fitted with an impressive array of weapons and sensors, can carry an integral helicopter and boasts of long endurance. .
To enhance interoperability between the two navies, Indian Navy-UAE Navy bilateral exercise, Zayed Talwar, has been held since March 2018, with the last edition being in August 2021.
India-Sri Lanka Annual Defence Dialogue
The 7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi on February 23, 2023. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his Sri Lankan counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. During the meeting, the ongoing defence cooperation activities between the two countries were reviewed, with both sides agreeing to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises.
Sri Lanka and India agreed to increase the intensity of bilateral military exercises and vowed to avail maximum benefits from each other’s experience and capacities, a move that came amid China’s attempts to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean region.
ADD is an annual apex-level defence engagement between the two countries to discuss regional security situations, common security challenges and avenues for closer defence cooperation towards ensuring ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
Royal Navy Chief Visits India
Sir Ben Key First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Royal Navy visited India on 2 – 3 Mar 23 to participate in Raisina Dialogue at Delhi. During the visit, he interacted with Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff. The discussions emphasized on the significance accorded by both countries for a collaborative approach towards maritime security in Indo-Pacific. The bilateral relationship between India and UK was upgraded to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ in 2004. The Indian Navy–Royal Navy cooperation have been steered in accordance UK-India Joint statement announced during PM Boris Johnson’s visit to India in April 2022. The engagements between Indian Navy and Royal Navy include operational interactions such as the Bilateral Ex Konkan and Joint Services Ex Konkan Shakti, training exchanges and exchange of Maritime Information and Subject Matter Experts in various fields. In addition, warships from both Navies regularly make port calls at each other’s ports, especially after the increased significance of the Indo-Pacific region.
Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2023, Sir Ben Key said that UK is supportive of ‘Make in India’. He said, “India is reaching out for partnerships, but it is also making sure that it is personally resilient which is essential as we move into a complex and uncertain world.”
Visit of French Navy Ships to Kochi
French Navy Ships FS Dixmude,an amphibious helicopter carrier and La Fayette, frigate visited Kochi on 6 – 10 Mar 2023 as part of circumnavigation mission. During the ongoing visit, the French team visited professional training schools and ships of Southern Naval Command. Cross training visits, professional and social interaction including sports fixtures were some of the highlights of the visit. The French Army embarked onboard ships will also conduct joint military exercise with the Indian Army.
Australian PM Visits INS Vikrant
The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, visited INS Vikrant in Mumbai on 9 Mar 23 as part of his visit to India from 8 to 11 Mar 2023. He was briefed about the roles and capabilities of INS Vikrant and introduced to the Light Combat Aircraft. He announced that Australia, for the first time, would host the 27th edition of the annual multilateral naval wargaming exercise, MALABAR, that was scheduled later in 2023 among the navies of the USA, India, Japan and Australia. Australia and India upgraded their bilateral relationship from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2020. Thry now have a the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue, 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, Joint Trade and Commerce Ministerial Commission, Defence Policy Talks, Australia-India Education Council interactions, Defence Services Staff Talks, Energy Dialogue, and consultations of Joint Working Groups on different issues. In Jun 20, the two sides signed the pact that enables reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support, the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) that allows the militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides scaling up overall defence cooperation.
