Gulf | Oman
India and Oman navies conclude joint exercise
Two Indian warships took part in the Naval exercise with Royal Navy of Oman task force vessels
- Staff Report
- Published: 00:00 December 18, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News
Muscat: Two Indian warships, guided-missile frigate INS Ganga and stealth frigate INS Talwar, took part in the seventh Indo-Oman bilateral Naval exercise, Naseem Al Bahar 09, that concluded on Wednesday in Omani waters.
According to a press release from the Press Information Bureau of India, the two Indian warships took part in the Naval exercise with Royal Navy of Oman task force vessels.
"Several aircraft from the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) also took part in the exercise, including maritime patrol aircraft and Jaguars," the press release said.
"This visit aims to further strengthen the strong maritime relationship between the two countries," said a statement issued by the Indian mission in Muscat.
Growing cooperation
The Naseem Al Bahr series of bilateral naval exercises is a significant facet of the growing cooperation between India and Oman. This series of exercises between the navies of the two nations began in 1993 and has grown in scope and complexity over the years.
Six exercises conducted so far have met the underlying aims of facilitating mutual learning and cross-pollination of best practices.
The present INS Ganga is the fourth ship in the Ganga family and the second of the indigenously designed and built Godavari class of ships. A powerful guided missile frigate, INS Ganga was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 30 December 1985.
The ship has been entirely designed by the Indian Navy's Design Organisation and was built at Mazgaon Docks Ltd, Mumbai. It is a multi-functional platform capable of carrying Sea King 42 B helicopters, which extend her reach far into the open sea.
The ship also has sophisticated anti-missile defence, airborne anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability and anti-ship missiles. INS Talwar was commissioned on June 18, 2003 and is the third in the line to bear the name. INS Talwar is a general-purpose frigate capable of operating in a multi threat environment.
She incorporates the latest in stealth technology. Her formidable arsenal comprises eight surface-to-surface missiles, a battery of surface to air missiles, torpedoes and decoys.
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