The Indian Navy carried out joint drills with the Vietnamese Navy in the South China Sea as part of maritime cooperation between the two countries.
INS Ranvijay and INS Kora undertook bilateral maritime exercises with Vietnam People's Navy (VPN) frigate VPNS Ly Thai To(HQ-012), the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The Indian Naval ships arrived at Cam Ranh, Vietnam, on August 15 for harbour phase which included professional interactions with VPN maintaining extant Covid-19 protocols.
The bilateral interaction aims to consolidate the strong bond shared by the two navies and would be another step towards sustaining India-Vietnam defence relations.
The sea phase included surface warfare exercises, weapon firing drills and helicopter operations. Regular interactions between the two navies over the years have enhanced their interoperability and adaptability, the Indian Navy said..
About INS Ranvijay and INS Kora
INS Ranvijay is a guided-missile destroyer and the latest of the Rajput class. The ship was commissioned on December 21, 1987, and is equipped with an array of weapons and sensors which includes a surface-to-surface missile, anti-air missiles and guns, heavy weight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets and capable of carrying anti-submarine helicopters (Kamov 28).
INS Ranvijay is in company with INS Kora which is the leading ship of Kora class missile corvette. The ship is fitted with surface-to-surface missiles and anti-air guns.