Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will see the Indian Navy’s twin carrier operations on board INS Vikrant between Kochi and Goa at the top Naval Commanders Conference in March. INS Vikrant, India’s second aircraft carrier, completed a maintenance repair at Cochin Shipyard on January 26 and is scheduled to participate in the 50-nation Milan exercise off the coast of Visakhapatnam in February.
While the Naval Commanders Conference will take place from March 4 to 8, with the second stage in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the first MH 60R squadron of multi-role helicopters in Cochin. India acquired up to 24 Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters from the United States on a government-to-government basis.
During his maritime cruise from Kochi to Goa, Singh will experience the entire power of the Indian Navy, with aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant demonstrating their prowess at sea with fighter operations employing MiG-29 K aircraft. INS Vikrant is currently undergoing sea trials and will proceed to Visakhapatnam after docking at Cochin port for final inspection.
Up to 24 nations are deploying warships to participate in the Milan Exercises on India’s eastern seaboard. In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthi militia and Somali pirates are causing havoc on commercial vessels. Iranian-backed Shia Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are stopping Israeli military operations against Hamas in Gaza. Stolen ship owners demand multi-million dollar ransoms from Somali pirates who are active in the region. While the Indian Navy is doing an excellent job safeguarding commercial shipping from pirates and missile assaults in the Arabian Sea, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific is currently under threat, with China and the fast developing PLA Navy acting as hegemons in the South China Sea.
