Indian Navy Ships Satpura and Kamorta, alongside in Fremantle, Western Australia. PHOTO: LSIS Lee-Anne Mack (NAVY DAILY)
By SAT News Desk
Melbourne: India and Australia have decided to hold joint naval exercise which will be held in September this year in the Eastern Fleet exercise areas off the east coast of India. This was disclosed by the Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Navdeep Suri, addressing an Indian community gathering here organised by the Confederation of Australian Indian Association to welcome him to Australia.
Earlier, two Indian Navy ships Satpura and Kamorta conducting training and security patrols while transiting the Indian Ocean and arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on 4 June on a goodwill visit. The ships were made open to the public on 6 June.
The ‘Navy Daily’ reports the Australian Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett said the exercise was a significant step forward in the bilateral relationship and reflected the maturing defence relationships of both countries, lead by their respective navies.
“As one of our highly valued security partners we welcome the visit by Vice Admiral Soni, Rear Admiral Singh, and the officers and sailors of Indian Navy Ships Satpura and Kamorta, as we continue to strengthen close bond between the navies of India and Australia,” Vice Admiral Barrett said.
“As the Chairman of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this type of bilateral interaction.
“It is important to regional security that we take every opportunity to engage with our neighbours in training activities and exchanges to further strengthen our cooperation and understanding,” he said.
The INS Satpura is a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate built for the Indian Navy and commissioned on 20 August 2011. The INS Kamorta, the first of four anti-submarine Kamorta-class stealth corvette, was commissioned on 12 July 2014.
– SAT News Service
