India and Australia have begin their first bilateral naval exercise that will focus on anti-submarine warfare as the two countries look at deepening defence cooperation especially in the Indian Ocean. AUSINDEX 15 is being conducted off the east coast of India from September 11-19. The week-long bilateral maritime exercise comprising Royal Australian Navy ships Sirius (fleet tanker), Arunta (Anzac class frigate), and (Collins class submarine) reached Visakhapatnam already. The Indian Navy is represented by INS Shivalik (stealth frigate), INS Ranvijay (guided missile destroyer) and INS Shakti (fleet tanker).
The exercise is aimed at strengthening professional interaction, both in harbour and at sea and would be a start for attaining inter-operability between the two navies. The operation will strengthen the ability to undertake regional joint and/or combined operations such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The maritime exercise is a tangible sign that will strengthen defence co-operation between the two countries as envisaged in the Framework for Security Co-operation announced by the Australian and Indian Prime Ministers in 2014.
- Exercise Malabar is a bilateral naval exercise involving the United States and India.
- IBSAMAR are a series of naval exercises between the navies of India, Brazil, South Africa.
- INDRA is a joint, bi-annual military exercise conducted by India and Russia starting in 2003.
- Varuna naval exercise is the joint exercise between India and France.
Test Your Knowledge
EKUVERIN is the joint military training exercise between India and _______.
