NewsGate Press Network

By Vineet Dikshit

Over the past weekend warships from the Indian Navy have reached strategic locations in Vietnam and Malaysia as part of the Operational Deployment of the Easten Fleet.

According to Ministry of Defence (MoD),  INS Kiltan arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam on 12 May 24.

Similarly two other warships INS Delhi and INS Shakti reached Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.

INS Kiltan is an indigenous ASW corvette, which was designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. INS Kiltan is the third of four P28 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvettes

INS Delhi and Shakti on completion of harbour visit, will also participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX)/ PASSEX at sea with ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

INS Delhi is the first indigenously designed and built Project-15 class guided missile destroyer and INS Shakti is a Fleet Support Ship, both ships are part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet.

This is aimed to enhance the degree of interoperability between the two Navies, which was reiterated during the recently concluded MILAN 2024 and Ex Samudra Lakshmana 2024.

The visit of warship INS Kiltan to Vietnam will conclude with a Maritime Partnership Exercise at sea between the Indian Navy and Vietnam People’s Navy. The exercise would further enhance the interoperability and exchange of best practices.