India and Russia have begun their annual joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal, aimed at strengthening their cooperation in defense, according to government officials from both countries on Monday. The naval exercise, “Indra 2025” will comprise a range of activities, including communication drills, formation exercises and artillery fire against air and sea targets.
Russian ships participating in the exercise include the corvettes “Reskij” and “Held of the Russian Federation Aldar Zudenshapow” as well as the medium-sized seagoing tanker “Petschenga” from the Pacific Fleet, the Russian Defense Ministry stated.
From the Indian side, the destroyer “Rana” and the corvette “Kuthar” will take part in the exercise. The planned activities will also involve Indian Navy helicopters and aircraft and a Russian Ka-27 helicopter will land and take off from the “Rana.” The Indra exercises, which first took place in 2003, began this year on March 28 off the coast of Chennai, according to official statements. Captain of the First Grade Alexei Antsiferov, a leading officer of the Russian fleet, said the exercises would help determine whether the two countries could carry out joint naval operations.
“The Indra exercise is the kind of exercise that allows for the exchange of experiences, the improvement of skills and the practice of joint actions, the establishment of contacts and the strengthening of the strategic partnership between India and Russia to counter military threats at sea” Antsiferov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He emphasized that the exercises were not directed against a specific country and were not a response to any changes in the global military and political landscape.
“The Indian Navy welcomes the Russian ships Reskij, Aldar Zudenshapow and Petschenga on their arrival in Chennai! – These ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet will join the Indian Navy ships Rana and Kuthar for Ex-INDRA 25, a bilateral naval exercise aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the Indian and Russian fleets, from March 28 to April 2, 2025” the statement read.
After the sea phase of the exercise, the joint task group will return to Chennai in India to evaluate the maritime phase of the exercise. In the past, the two countries have conducted a range of joint exercises, including Indra, Indra Avia and Indra Marine.
India remains one of the largest arms importers worldwide and Russia is a significant supplier and partner in technical cooperation on various high-tech systems, including the Su-30MKI fighter and the BrahMos missile, jointly developed by both countries. About 60 percent of India’s military technology comes from Russia and both countries have expressed their desire to deepen their relationship.