Visakhapatnam: Bilateral exercise by Indian, Vietnam navies

Visakhapatnam: In continuation of the ongoing deployment of Indian Navy ships in the South China Sea, INS Ranvijay and INS Kora undertook bilateral maritime exercise with the Vietnam People's Navy (VPN) frigate VPNS Ly Thai To (HQ-012) on Wednesday.

The bilateral interaction aims to consolidate the strong bond shared by the two navies and would be another step towards strengthening India-Vietnam defence relations. IN Ships arrived at Cam Ranh, Vietnam on August 15 for harbour phase which included professional interactions with VPN maintaining Covid-19 protocols. The sea phase included surface warfare exercises, weapon firing drills and helicopter operations. Regular interactions between the two navies over the years have enhanced their interoperability and adaptability. This has ensured a quantum jump in the complexity and scale of professional exchanges. This visit also holds special importance as IN Ships celebrated the country's 75th Independence Day in Vietnam.

Defence ties between the two countries have been robust. In June this year, the two countries undertook a defence security dialogue and Indian Naval ships have been frequently visiting Vietnamese Ports. Also, training cooperation between the two navies has been on the rise over the years.

INS Ranvijay is a guided-missile destroyer and the latest of the Rajput class.

The ship was commissioned on December 21, 1987 and is equipped with an array of weapons and sensors which includes Surface to Surface Missile (Brahmos), Anti Air Missiles and guns, Heavy Weight Torpedo, anti-submarine rockets and capable of carrying anti-submarine helicopter (Kamov 28).

INS Ranvijay is in company with INS Kora which is the lead ship of Kora class missile corvette.

The ship is fitted with URAN (Surface to Surface missile) and anti-airguns.