India, Australia conclude maritime exercise near Perth

Perth: The Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between the navies of India and Australia concluded on Saturday.

INS Sumedha participated with HMAS Anzac in the exercise reaffirming the strong navy-to-navy links and interoperability between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy. The MPX included cross deck landing of helicopters, tactical manoeuvres and a farewell steam past.

Indian Navy's INS Sumedha was docked at Perth in Australia to celebrate India's 76th Independence Day on Monday. To commemorate the spirit of Independence, a flag hoisting ceremony was scheduled onboard in presence of Veterans and Australian Defence Forces officers on August 15.

As part of the Indian Navy's Operational Deployment, INS Sumedha has been deployed to the South Eastern Indian Ocean. She is part of the Indian Navy's initiative to hoist 'Tiranga' on all continents (except Antarctica) as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

INS Sumedha is an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel deployed for multiple roles independently and in support of Fleet Operations. She is part of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and functions under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

The visit of INS Sumedha underscores India's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and shared objectives of the two countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain and the Indian Navy's commitment to building bridges of friendship and strengthening cooperation with friendly maritime nations.

It is in consonance with Joint Guidance provided by the Chiefs of both the navies in August 2021 and is aligned to the '2020 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' between the two nations.

It aims to further consolidate shared commitment to regional and global security challenges promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Both navies have been collaborating on various fronts and are playing a critical role in ensuring the safety of international maritime trade and working towards global commons.