India’s maritime partnership exercises are an important part of its foreign policy and strategic outlook. These exercises are conducted with a variety of countries, including both India’s traditional partners and emerging powers. The goal of these exercises is to enhance interoperability, build trust, and promote maritime cooperation.
In recent years, India has been particularly active in conducting maritime partnership exercises with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. This is due to the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific and the need to maintain a free and open maritime order in the region.
Some of the notable maritime partnership exercises conducted by India in recent years include:
- Varuna (India-France)
- Malabar (India-US-Japan-Australia)
- JIMEX (India-Japan)
- SLINEX (India-Sri Lanka)
- IBSAMAR (India-Brazil-South Africa)
- Konkan (India-UK)
- Samudra Shakti (India-Indonesia)
- SIMBEX (India-Singapore)
- Zair Al Bahr (India-Qatar)
- India-France-UAE Maritime Partnership Exercise
These exercises typically involve a variety of activities, such as surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, air defense exercises, and search and rescue operations. The exercises also provide an opportunity for the participating countries to share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences.
Recent Maritime Partnership Exercises
In the last two weeks, India has conducted two maritime partnership exercises:
- India-Japan Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX): The MPX was conducted in the Andaman Sea on July 23, 2023. The exercise involved participation from the Indian Navy’s INS Sukanya and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Samidare. The two ships conducted a variety of activities, including seamanship activities, aircraft operations, and tactical maneuvers.
- India-France-UAE Maritime Partnership Exercise: The India-France-UAE Maritime Partnership Exercise was conducted in the Bay of Bengal on June 30, 2023. The exercise involved participation from the Indian Navy’s INS Rana and INS Sumedha, the French Navy’s FS Surcouf, and the UAE Navy’s Al Ghurair class missile boat. The four ships conducted a variety of activities, including tactical maneuvers, replenishment at sea approaches, air defense against fighter aircraft, and cross deck helicopter operations.
These two exercises are indicative of India’s commitment to strengthening its maritime partnerships with both its traditional partners and emerging powers.
Significance of India’s Maritime Partnership Exercises
India’s maritime partnership exercises are significant for a number of reasons. First, they help to enhance interoperability between the Indian Navy and the navies of other countries. This is important because it allows the participating countries to operate together more effectively in the event of a crisis or contingency.
Second, maritime partnership exercises help to build trust between the participating countries. This is important because it creates a foundation for cooperation on other issues, such as trade, security, and maritime governance.
Third, maritime partnership exercises promote maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This is important because it helps to maintain a free and open maritime order in the region, which is essential for India’s economic security and strategic interests.
Conclusion
India’s maritime partnership exercises play an important role in its foreign policy and strategic outlook. These exercises help to enhance interoperability, build trust, and promote maritime cooperation. In particular, India’s maritime partnership exercises with countries in the Indo-Pacific region are significant because they help to maintain a free and open maritime order in the region.
ents with evidence from credible sources, such as academic journals, government reports, and news articles.