New Delhi:The Indian and Russian navies will hold a mega military exercise in the Bay of Bengal on September 4 and 5 to further bolster their operational interoperability in dealing with emerging security challenges, official sources said on Tuesday.
As part of the Indra Navy exercise, a plethora of maritime drills such as gun firing on the surface and aerial targets, tracking exercises and replenishment at sea approaches are planned, they said.
Also read: Pulwama terror attack accused moves NIA court seeking bail to appear for NEET exams
The exercise is taking place at a time when India is engaged in a bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh.
The Indian Navy has significantly expanded its presence in the Indian Ocean Region, deploying a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row to send across a message to Beijing as the maritime space around the Malacca Strait is very critical for China's supply chain through sea routes.
In July, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a US Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship.
The Indra exercise was earlier planned in Vladivostok in Russia but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Russian Navy ships Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Tributs and Boris Butoma along with a fleet of helicopters will be part of the exercise, the sources said.