Indian Navy joins 9-nation exercise near busiest shipping route

The Indian Navy warship INS Mumbai has joined a nine-nation maritime exercise being conducted near the busiest shipping routes – the Malacca, Sunda and Lombok straits.

Among those at the exercise are the Navies of the US, the UK, Canada, France, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The exercise named La Perouse, which began on January 16, will continue till January 24.

The straits of Malacca, Sunda and Lombok, which are the mainstays of global maritime trade, are subject to numerous human-induced risks, such as maritime and environmental accidents, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and also natural risks, like earthquakes and tsunamis.

Indian Navy warship INS Mumbai is participating in the exercise that aims to develop common maritime situational awareness by enhancing the cooperation in the field of maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction operations and air operations along with the conduct of progressive training and information sharing.

The exercise provides an opportunity for like-minded Navies to develop closer links in planning, coordination and information sharing for enhanced interoperability. The exercise will witness complex and advanced multi-domain exercises, including anti-air warfare, air-defence, cross deck landings and tactical manoeuvres.

Strengthening maritime safety would be the focus of this exercise, with the improvement of interoperability among the participating nations to respond collectively to maritime crisis. The exercise would train all Navies in the use of IORIS, a system for communication and coordination during maritime crisis to synchronise their efforts.