Indian Navy's P-8I Aircraft in Bahrain for Operation Compass Rose
Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft is in Bahrain to take part in the inaugural Operation Compass Rose being carried out by the Combined Maritime Force (CMF).
The team had productive conversations with representatives from the participating countries. This provided a forum for insightful conversations about issues of shared interest. The P-8I Squadron's Commanding Officer, Commander Amit Mohapatra, also met Indian Ambassador to Bahrain Piyush Srivastava.
India had decided to become an associate partner of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) at the 2+2 Ministerial discussions between India and the United States in April 2022. This action was aimed at improving cooperation on regional security in the western Indian Ocean.
After this, India formally began its cooperation with the CMF, an international partnership with its headquarters in Bahrain, in July 2022. The main goal of the CMF is to promote peace, stability, and prosperity over the enormous area of international waters, which measures around 3.2 million square miles. These waters encompass critical shipping lanes of global significance.
May 29, 2023
India-Saudi Naval Drill Concludes
The second edition of the bilateral exercise "Al Mohed Al Hindi 23" between the Indian Navy and the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF) has concluded off Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
INS Tarkash, INS Subhadra and Dornier Maritime Patrol aircraft participated in the exercise from the Indian side; the RSNF was represented by HMS Badr, Abdul Aziz and MH 60R copters.
The three-day exercise at sea witnessed a wide spectrum of maritime operations. It culminated with debrief at sea followed by traditional steam past.
The successful conduct of 'Al Mohed Al Hindi 23' showcased a high degree of professionalism, interoperability and exchanges of best practices between the two navies.
The bilateral exercise met all its objectives and both sides intend to graduate more advanced level of exercises in the next edition.
May 28, 2023
Indian Army, IAF Conduct Joint Exercise along Western Borders
Indian Army's Shatrujeet Brigade and the Western Command conducted a joint exercise with the Indian Air Force along the western border. The joint exercise was carried out to deploy paratroopers with new-generation weapon systems in support of mechanised forces deep inside enemy territory to facilitate and enhance the operational reach of their own forces.
C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster and AN-32 aircrafts were used to insert troops and specialised equipment into designated areas in the obstacle-ridden terrain with clinical precision.
The exercise was carried out in realistic tactical settings and showcased the speed, agility and lethality of the paratroopers to induct into a hostile environment, secure dropping zones, and engage the enemy with surprise, precision and speed.
Iran successfully test-launched a ballistic missile with a potential 2,000-km range, two days after the chief of Israel's armed forces raised the prospect of action against Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, said that its weapons are capable of reaching the bases of arch-foes Israel and the United States in the region.
The liquid-fuel missile is named the 'Kheibar', a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors in the early days of Islam.
The domestically built Kheibar missile's outstanding features include quick preparation and launch time, which makes it a tactical weapon in addition to a strategic one.
May 25, 2023
Indian Navy Wants to Extend the Lease of US Sea Guardian Drones
With Quad nations joining hands on maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific, India plans to speed up acquisition of armed drones from the US even as the Indian Navy is working towards extending the lease of two General Atomics manufactured Sea Guardian surveillance drones which expires in January 2024. The two Sea Guardian drones are based at Rajali Naval Base in Tamil Nadu.
While the cost of armed Predator drones (MQ-9B) will be a determining factor in the acquisition programme, the Indian Navy is satisfied with the output of its surveillance version, the Sea Guardian, since two of them were leased in 2020 for maritime domain surveillance.
Given the endurance of the drones, the Sea Guardians provide real time domain awareness from the eastern board of Africa and Gulf of Aden to Sunda Straits in Indonesia and beyond. The leased drones were also used to survey the Chinese build-up all along the LAC after the May 2020 aggression by the PLA in East Ladakh.
+91-85588-96644
tcy@tcyonline.com
