New Delhi: The navies of India and the Philippines on Monday carried out a military exercise in the West Philippine Sea, in reflection of their growing operational cooperation in key waterways.
While the Indian Navy deployed its guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay and guided missile corvette INS Kora, the Philippine Navy was represented by its frigate BRP Antonio Luna, officials said.
“Two ships of the Indian Navy, INS Ranvijay and INS Kora, on deployment to the Western Pacific, carried out a maritime partnership exercise with BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy on Monday in the West Philippine Sea,” Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
“The joint evolutions conducted during the exercise included several operational manoeuvers and the participating ships of both navies were satisfied with the consolidation of interoperability achieved through this operational interaction at sea,” he said.
The Indian naval ships are currently deployed to the Western Pacific with an aim to strengthen maritime security collaboration with partner nations.
“The interaction with BRP Antonio Luna was an enriching opportunity for the Indian Navy to consolidate its bilateral relations with the Philippine Navy,” Commander Madhwal said.
The defence and security cooperation between India and the Philippines is on an upswing in the last few years.
“Both navies remain committed to further strengthening bilateral collaboration in the maritime domain towards a collective aim of ensuring a stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” the Indian Navy spokesperson said.