India, Indonesia conduct bilateral naval exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ in Visakhapatnam from Oct 14-17

The Indian and Indonesian navies are conducting Exercise Samudra Shakti in Visakhapatnam from October 14–17. Featuring INS Kavaratti and KRI John Lie, the drill enhances cooperation, interoperability, and shared maritime security efforts in the Indo-Pacific region

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is hosting an Indo-Indonesian bilateral maritime exercise at Visakhapatnam from October 14-17, aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening mutual understanding and sharing best practices between the two navies, officials said on Wednesday.

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), which arrived at Visakhapatnam to a warm welcome by the ENC, the defence ministry said.

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Exercise Samudra Shakti highlights the shared commitment of both nations towards maintaining stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region, the official said. It is a key bilateral engagement aimed at enhancing interoperability, strengthening mutual understanding, and sharing best practices between the two navies, the defence ministry said in a statement.

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, it said.

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, it said.