Just three weeks after India and Japan conducted a small naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal, the world’s largest warship, the USS Nimitz, a nuclear-powered carrier of the US Navy accompanied by its flotilla, conducted a basic maritime drill with Indian Navy warships on Monday. The exercise conducted west of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
About PASSEX Exercise
- A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills.
- Recently, the Indian Navy had also conducted similar PASSEXs with the Japanese and the French Navy.
- The passage exercise involved a total of eight Indian and US warships including four frontline Indian naval ships- INS Shivalik, INS Sahyadri, INS Kamorta and INS Rana, teamed up with carrier USS Nimitz (largest aircraft carrier) and three other U.S. ships to conduct the exercise.
Aim:
- To improve cooperation of US and Indian maritime forces.
- To improve the capabilities of both sides to counter threats at sea from piracy to counter extremism at sea.
- These engagements also provide the opportunities to build upon the pre-existing strong relationship between the US and India and allow both countries to learn from each other.
- A free and open sea promotes an international rules-based order wherein each nation can reach its potential without sacrificing national sovereignty.
Image Source: Indian Express
China Factor:
- The Indian Navy has increased its surveillance missions and operational deployment in the Indian Ocean region in the wake of the Galwan valley incident.
- An exercise is also conducted at the time when tensions are increasing in the South China Sea where the U.S Navy just conducted a major exercise involving USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan.
- By increasing its presence in the region the Indian Navy is keeping a close watch on the movement of Chinese naval ships in the IOR, whose presence has gone up in the past few years in the name of anti-piracy patrols.
NDA 2020: An Express Course, Click HereAFCAT II 2020: A Comprehensive Course in English, Click HereSSB Interview: A Comprehensive Course (Batch 4), Click here |
More from us
Important Study Notes for Defence Exams
Defence Specific Notes
Weekly Current Affairs
Current Affairs Quiz
SSB Interview Tips
Thanks
The Most Comprehensive Exam Prep App
Comments
write a comment