India to Hold So Far Biggest Naval Exercise in Bay of Bengal

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) Twenty warships from five countries -- including three aircraft carriers -- will assemble in the Bay of Bengal come September for a major naval exercise to be hosted by India.

The other countries taking part in these so far biggest wargames hosted by India will be the United States, Japan, Australia and Singapore.

And the warships to be fielded for it include two US aircraft carriers -- the soon-to-be-decommissioned and second-longest- serving-ship in the US Navy 'Kitty Hawk' and the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz which ruffled many a feather in India during its recent port-call at Chennai, Defence Ministry officials confirmed here today.

Besides the carriers with their full complement of 80 to 100 aircraft, the exercise -- codenamed Malabar-07 -- will feature missile destroyers, stealth frigates, nuclear and conventional submarines and tankers.

The five-day sea manoeuvres will also see shore-based Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy's Sea Harrier jets and Sea King helicopters from the INS Viraat in action.

Last month's joint manoeuvres by Indian, US and Japanese warships off the Japanese coast in the Pacific had evoked a strong reaction from China. Beijing had issued a demarche to the three nations demanding to know the reason for their undertaking such a wargame close to the Chinese territory.

Australia's Defence Minister Brendan Nelson -- ostensibly seeking to allay Beijing's fears -- had made amply clear during his recent visit here that there was ''no quadrilateral security alliance'' comprising Australia, the US, India and Japan in the offing.

UNI

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