India, Indonesia begin naval exercise in Visakhapatnam

• Indo-Indonesian bilateral maritime exercise began at Visakhapatnam on October 14. 

• The fifth edition of the joint bilateral maritime exercise — Samudra Shakti — will conclude on October 17.

• The participating units include INS Kavaratti, an anti-submarine warfare corvette of the Eastern Fleet under the aegis of Eastern Naval Command (ENC), and the Indonesian Navy Ship KRI John Lie, a corvette (with an integral helicopter).

• Exercise Samudra Shakti highlights the shared commitment of both nations towards maintaining stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

• It is a key bilateral engagement aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening mutual understanding, and sharing best practices between the two navies.

• The harbour phase features a range of activities aimed at building camaraderie and professional rapport that include cross-deck visits, joint yoga sessions, friendly sports fixtures, and professional subject matter expert exchanges.

• The sea phase will involve dynamic and complex maritime operations aimed at increasing tactical coordination, including helicopter operations, air defence exercises, weapon firing drills, and Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) exercises.

Other exercise with Indonesia: 

• Garuda Shakti - Annual training event between the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)