The navies of India and Russia concluded the 12th edition of the biennial Exercise Indra Navy in Baltic Sea, the Navy said on Friday. The Army version of the exercise is scheduled to be held from August 1 to 13 in Volgograd.
“The primary aim of this year’s edition is to further consolidate inter-operability built up by the two Navies over the years and also to enhance understanding and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations,” a Navy statement said.
For the Army version of Exercise Indra, 250 soldiers from each side will be taking part, and the aim is counter-terror operations under a United Nations mandate. There is major focus on employment of mechanised elements during the exercise, an officer said.
The maritime exercise took place over two days and included various facets of fleet operations such as anti-air firings, underway replenishment drills, helicopter ops, boarding drills and seamanship evolutions, the Navy added.
The exercise was progressed over two days and included various facets of fleet operations.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
India Navy was represented by stealth frigate INS Tabar, while the Russian Navy was represented by two corvettes RFS Zelyony Dol and RFS Odintsovo of the Baltic Fleet for the exercise held on July 28 and 29.
INS Tabar reached St Petersburg on July 22 to participate in the 325th Navy Day celebrations of the Russian Navy. Later, the ship joined a naval parade reviewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which over 50 ships, motor boats, submarines, 48 aircraft and helicopters took part.
INS Tabar is on a long deployment and and has been making a series of port visits in Africa and Europe from June 13, which will go on till September-end.