After sailing over 10,000 km each, the Royal Australian Navy’s HMA Ships Sirius, Arunta and Sheean are in Visakhapatnam, India preparing to exercise with the Indian Navy.
The inuagural bilateral maritime activity, AUSINDEX, will commence on 12 September and will start with briefings and practical demonstrations ashore, before progressing to sea.
HMAS Sirius foreshadowed the upcoming exercise earlier this year off the coast of Western Australia conducting a passage exercise with visiting Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kamorta.
Satpura, built in India, is a multi-role stealth frigate carrying a wide array of weaponry and Kamorta is the first of the four highly advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare stealth corvettes.
The Indian Navy ships conducted a port visit in Perth during a visit by the Flag Officer Commanding the Indian Navy Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral Ajendra Bahadur.
The upcoming maritime exercise is designed to strengthen defence co-operation between the two countries as envisaged in the Framework for Security Co-operation announced by the Australian and Indian Prime Ministers in 2014.
Commanding Officer HMAS Sirius, Commander Darren Grogan, said the interaction off Western Australia set the bar for the exercise in India.
The professionalism on display back in June was beyond reproach, and we are looking forward to working with our Indian colleagues again.
A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C aircraft detachment will join the three Royal Australian Navy ships in India. The Australians will train with Indian Navy Ships Shivalik, Ranvijayi and Shakti, along with P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft during the week-long activity.
AUSINDEX15 is being held in waters off Visakhapatnam, India until late September.
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Image: Australian Navy