The Indian Defense Ministry said the six-day Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 started off Visakhapatnam city, Andhra Pradesh state, south India, on Wednesday.
Units of Japan Maritime Self Defence Force and Indian Naval ships are participating in the exercise which lasts until July 11, according to a statement from the ministry.
From Indian side, guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kamorta, fleet tanker INS Shakti, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft, ship-borne helicopters and fighter aircraft are participating in the exercise.
Guided missile destroyer JS Samidare and its integral helicopters are representing Japan Maritime Self Defence Force. The maritime exercise is being conducted in two phases. In the harbour phase at Visakhapatnam professional, sports and social interactions will be conducted, the statement said. In the second phase “the two navies will jointly hone their warfighting skills at sea and enhance their interoperability through complex multi-discipline operations in the surface, sub-surface and air domains.” The Indian ministry added that this exercise “provides an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices and facilitates operational interactions between Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force to foster mutual cooperation and reaffirm their shared commitment towards maritime security in the region.”
Source: Kuwait News Agency