India conducting major theatre-level naval combat exercise in IOR to test operational readiness | India News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: India is conducting a massive naval combat exercise, with 65 warships, nine submarines and over 80 aircraft and helicopters, to test operational preparedness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The Tropex or the ‘theatre level operational readiness exercise’, which is conducted biennially, has brought the Navy’s western and eastern fleets together as well as includes “substantial participation” from the Army, IAF and Coast Guard for the intense drills that will continue till March.
“Tropex is aimed at validating the Navy’s core warfighting skills, and ensuring a synchronised, integrated response to preserve and protect national maritime security interests in a contested maritime environment against conventional, asymmetric as well as hybrid threats,” Navy spokesperson Captain Vivek Madhwal said on Friday.
“It is being conducted in various phases, both in harbour and at sea, integrating various facets of combat operations, cyber and electronic warfare operations, live weapon firings and an amphibious exercise,” he added.
The Navy has deployed indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyers and Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarines, among others, as well as MiG-29K fighter jets, P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones and MH-60R submarine-hunting helicopters.
Towards enhancing synergy and jointness, the other Services have also been integrated into the exercise, with participation of an infantry brigade with over 600 troops from the Army, while IAF has deployed Sukhoi-30MKI and Jaguar fighters, C-130J `Super Hercules’ special operations planes and AWACS aircraft. The Coast Guard, in turn, is taking part with 10 ships and aircraft.
The warships and aircraft are put through complex maritime operational scenarios to validate and refine the “concept of operations, including forward deployed sustenance and interoperability” in the IOR, which is witnessing growing maritime collusiveness between China and Pakistan after the land borders.
With the world’s largest navy with over 360 warships and submarines, China deploys seven to eight naval vessels and spy ships in the IOR at any given time. It is working to increase its “underwater domain awareness” in the region by mapping oceanographic and other data useful for navigation and submarine operations.
Concurrently, China is helping Pakistan build a bigger naval force, having already delivered four Type 054A/P multi-role frigates to Islamabad, with eight Yuan-class diesel-electric submarines and other assets in the pipeline.
“These eight new submarines will add significant combat potential to the Pakistan Navy. We are fully aware of their capabilities. That is why we are tweaking our plans and concepts to negate any infringement of our interests. We are fully ready to take on any challenge,” Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi had said earlier.