Monday, 15 October 2012

Indian, Brazilian and South African navies combat excercise starts from next week

The Indian, Brazilian and South African navies will launch intensive maritime wargames next week, continuing with the unique trilateral strategic initiative involving three democracies from three different continents.

Defence ministry official Saturday said an Indian Delhi-class destroyer and a combat support warship are already in the international waters off Simon's town, the main base of the South African Navy near Cape Town, for the IBSAMAR exercise that kicks off from October 15.

The warships from the three navies, with aircraft and helicopters, will undertake combat manoeuvres and anti-piracy drills. Our two warships earlier made a goodwill visit to Durban,'' said a source. The IBSA forum was established in June 2003 to promote south-south dialogue, cooperation and the adoption of common positions on issues of international importance. Under it, the first IBSAMAR exercise was held in May 2008, while the second edition was in 2010.

Indian warships usually undertake long-range deployments, both to project power as well as build bridges of friendship'', but the IBSAMAR wargames are nevertheless considered a challenging endeavour since the distance from India to South Africa, as also from Brazil to South Africa, is some 4,000 nautical miles. 

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