India, Phl navies plan sea drills

The naval forces of India and the Philippines will hold maritime partnership exercises at sea in the country’s territorial waters.

Three Indian Navy vessels arrived in Manila on Sunday for a three-day goodwill visit to the Philippines.

Among these vessels are guided missile destroyer INS Délhi, fleet tanker INS Shakti, and ASW corvette INS Kiltan, which are all part of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy based at Visakhapatnam.

Philippine Navy personnel welcomed the Indian Navy delegation, led by Head of Mission Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, at the Manila South Harbor, Pier 15.

“On behalf of the Indian Navy, I express my gratitude to the Philippines Navy and the Embassy of India for extending a warm welcome to the Indian Naval Ships,” Dhankhar said during the arrival ceremony.

He said the Indian and Philippine naval forces would engage in a “wide range of professional interactions” including Subject Matter Expert Exchange sessions, sports fixtures, cross-deck visits, cultural visits, and collaborative community outreach programs.

These activities, he noted, are aimed at further strengthening the India-Philippines existing cooperation and understanding between the two navies.

“Our ships will also participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise at sea with ships of the Philippines Navy,” Dhankhar said, as he emphasized that the Philippines and India shared common interests, particularly in maintaining peace and order in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The Indian Navy and the Philippines Navy share strong bonds of friendship, and both have endeavored to participate in Maritime Partnership Exercises at every available opportunity,” he added.

Dhankhar said their ongoing maritime operational deployment in the country is part of India’s regular friendly foreign visitation “aimed at sharing their experiences and best practices with the host nation Navies.”

“We look forward to engaging in interactions during our stay in Manila,” he added.