The Indian and the Indonesian navies held the PASSEX military exercise in the Arabian sea on February 18, 2021. This military exercise was organised in order to enhance the operational interoperability and the overall cooperation.
Highlights
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INS Talwar represented the Indian naval ship.
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The Indonesian Navy was represented by the multirole corvette KRI Bung Tomo.
India’s maritime cooperation
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India’s maritime cooperation with Indonesia have gained a momentum in last few years. Indian Navy also participated in the several maritime exercise notwithstanding the covid-19 pandemic.
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It held the maritime exercises with countries like Russia, Japan, Australia and the US.
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Recently, in November 2020, India hosted the Malabar exercise. In the exercise, the navies of US, Japan and Australia took part.
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India had also invited Australia for the Malabar exercise in November 2020 to make the Malabar drill for all the Quad members.
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
It is also called as the Quad or Asian NATO. It is an informal strategic forum comprising of Japan, Australia, United States and India. The grouping held semi-regular summits and military drills involving the member countries. The grouping was established with the aim of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. By the free and open Indo-pacific region it means to make the region free from the China’s growing influence. This grouping was formed in the backdrop of increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Exercise Malabar
It is a trilateral naval exercise between United States, Japan and India This drill was started in 1992 as a bilateral exercise involving India and United States. Japan was made a permanent partner in the exercise in year 2015. The exercise is often joined by the non-permanent members like Singapore and Australia. The exercise held a number of activities like fighter combat operations from aircraft carriers, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious operations, diving salvage operations, counter-piracy operations etc.