Indian, US navies to conduct joint exercise

Washington, April 6 (IANS) Indian and the US navies will conduct a joint training drill, "Exercise Malabar 2012", April 9-16 in the Bay of Bengal and west of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Participants from the US Navy include the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), a submarine, a P-3C aircraft and a logistics ship.

"The Indian Navy and US 7th Fleet have a common understanding and knowledge of a shared working environment at sea," a statement from the Yokosuka, Japan, based US 7th Fleet announcing the exercise said Friday.

"This exercise helps to advance the level of understanding between the countries' sailors and both countries hope to be able to continue this process over time," it said.

The latest in a continuing series of exercises conducted to advance multinational maritime relationships and mutual security issues, Malabar will feature both on shore and at-sea training.

On shore training in Chennai will include expert and professional exchanges on counter-piracy operations, carrier aviation operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations and anti-submarine warfare operations.

The at-sea portions will be conducted in two phases with the first in the vicinity of Chennai and the second in the Bay of Bengal.

They are designed to advance participating nations' military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment.

Events planned during the at-sea portions include liaison officer professional exchanges and embarks; communications exercises; surface action group operations; helicopter cross-deck evolutions; underway replenishments; gunnery exercises; visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS); maritime strikes; air defence exercises; encounter exercises; shore-based surface strikes; and anti-submarine warfare.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)