VISAKHAPATNAM: The Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy (RFN) will indulge in bilateral maritime exercise for the eighth edition of Indra Navy - 2015 commencing Monday. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted in the Bay of Bengal till December 12, and was taken up with an aim to increase interoperability between the two navies and develop a common understanding of procedures for maritime security operations.
The Indian Navy will be represented by its indigenous frigate INS Sahyadri, a guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay and a fleet support ship INS Shakti in addition to a submarine INS Sindhuvir, P8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, Dornier short-range maritime patrol aircraft and other integral rotary wing helicopters during the maritime exercise.
Representing the RFN, its Pacific Fleet Deputy Commander Vice Admiral Ryabukhin Andrey will lead RFN ships Varyag (cruiser), Bystry (destroyer), Alatau (rescue ocean going tug) and Boris Butoma (fleet tanker) which have arrived in Visakhapatnam Sunday. The exercise will be organised in two phases - the Harbour Phase during December 7-9 at Visakhapatnam and the Sea Phase during December 10-12, off the coast of Visakhapatnam. The Harbour Phase would encompass table-top exercises and planning conferences ashore, prior progressing to sea, while the Sea Phase would include various facets of fleet operations.
Senior navy authorities stated that the Indra Navy-15 would be another milestone in strengthening the maritime security cooperation between the two navies and also serve to reinforce the long standing friendship between the two nations. The scope of Indra Navy - 2015 also includes wideranging professional interactions during the Harbour phase and a diverse canvas of operational activities at sea across a spectrum of maritime operations.