The 3rd edition of the Bilateral Maritime Exercise between the Indian and Indonesian navies named ‘Samudra Shakti 2021’ was scheduled to be held, at Sunda Strait, Indonesia from September 20 to 22, 2021.
- Indian Naval Ships (INS) such as Shivalik and Kadmatt arrived at Jakarta to participate in the bilateral exercise with the Indonesian Navies of KRI (Kapal Republik Indonesia) Bung Tomo, KRI Malahayati, and Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft CN-235.
- Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I also participated in the exercise.
Note – The Sunda Strait is located in between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra.
About ‘Samudra Shakti’:
i.It is the bilateral maritime exercise formed in pursuance of India’s Act East Policy to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two nation’s navies and enhance their mutual understanding and interoperability in maritime operations.
ii.The 1st edition of the exercise was held at the port of Surabaya, Indonesia in 2018 as a bilateral India-Indonesia exercise and the 2nd edition was held in 2019 in the Bay of Bengal.
- Both the editions of the exercise have involved complex maritime operations such as Military Interdiction Operations (MIO), Cross Deck Landings, Practice Weapon Firings, Air Defence serials, Replenishment Approaches, and Tactical Manoeuvres.
iii.The 3rd edition aims to improve the maritime cooperation between the two navies and create strong bonds of friendship across the Indo Pacific.
Shivalik, Kadmatt: They were the indigenously designed and built multi-role Guided Missile Stealth Frigate and Anti-Submarine Corvette. They form part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, which is based at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh under the Eastern Naval Command.
Recent Related News:
On August 18, 2021 India and Vietnam had conducted a Bilateral maritime exercise in the South China Sea as a part of maritime cooperation between the two countries.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy) – New Delhi, Delhi
About Indonesia:
Capital – Jakarta
President – Joko Widodo
Currency – Indonesian rupiah
