Japan and India conduct joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal

Asia-Pacific, News January 18, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Japan and India conducted bilateral naval drills in the Bay of Bengal to improve defense collaboration and enhance interoperability between the two navies.

The maritime drill was conducted on January 13 by the partners to enhance mutual understanding and jointly secure their maritime interests.

The exercise included a wide range of flying operations, replenishment approaches, and tactical maneuvers, the Indian Navy posted on its Twitter account.

The Japanese navy’s Uraga-class mine countermeasure vessel JS URAGA and Awaji-class minesweeper JS HIRADO conducted a joint exercise with the Indian navy’s Shivalik-class frigate INS Shivalik and Kamorta-class corvette INS Kadmatt, according to a tweet posted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on January 18, 2022.

*^{Japan’s Uraga-class mine countermeasure vessel JS Hirado with Indian Navy’s INS Shivalik. (Image Credit: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)}*

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Uraga class mine countermeasure vessels were built and commissioned in the 1990s. It can reach a top speed of 22 knots (41 km/h) and has a length of 141m, a beam of 22m, and a draft of 14m.

Indian Navy’s Kamorta-class corvettes are anti-submarine warfare stealth class ships, while INS Kadmatt (P29) is the second of four anti-submarine warfare corvettes inducted into the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command. It was built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers of Kolkata under Project 28.