Indian Navy’s operational level exercise ‘TROPEX’ concludes after four months

The Indian Navy's major operational-level exercise 'TROPEX' 2023, conducted in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for four months since November last year, culminated this week in the Arabian Sea. "The overall design of the exercise included Coastal Defense Sea Vigil and amphibious exercise AMPHEX," the Ministry of Defense said in a release, adding that the exercises also witnessed significant participation by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Coast Guard.

The operational theater of the exercise is located in the Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and extended approximately 4,300 nm from north to south up to 35 degrees south latitude and 5,000 nm from the Persian Gulf in the west to the northern Australian coast in the east with an area of ​​more than 21 million square nautical miles,” the ministry added. TROPEX 23 witnessed the participation of approximately 70 ships of the Indian Navy, six submarines and more than 75 aircraft.

As part of the final joint phase, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh spent a day at sea aboard the newly commissioned indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant on March 6. He reviewed the operational readiness and material readiness of the Indian Navy, with the Navy demonstrating operational maneuvers and various aspects of combat operations, including onboard operations of indigenous LCAs and live weapons firing.

Addressing the fleets, the Defense Minister commended the operational readiness of the Indian Navy and emphasized that the country looks to the Navy to ensure that the economic lifelines and military capabilities of our adversaries are disrupted to the point that their warfighting efforts can no longer be sustained. . He also stated that he is fully assured that the Indian Navy is fully capable of protecting India's national interests in the maritime domain and will thwart the diabolical designs of all potential adversaries who seek to threaten India's peaceful existence.

The Defence Minister complimented the Indian Navy for being at the forefront of the ‘Make in India’ initiative and leveraging the path of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ to be ‘Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof’.