Germany, India team up for first joint Naval exercise
For the first time, the Indian and German forces undertook a three-day bilateral Naval exercise from April 8, 2008 off Kochi in the Arabian Sea. The exercise came in the context of the framework of the Indo-German Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2006.
Over 700 personnel from the German Task Force participated in the exercises. The German Task Force comprises of the Federal German Ship (FGS) F220 Hamburg, an air-defence ship; frigate F211 Koeln; and replenishment tanker FGS Berlin. The vessels arrived at Kochi on April 5.
Two frigates of the Indian Navy, apart from a helicopter and training ships — INS Tir and INS Krishna —represented India in the exercises.
Earlier, addressing media on board FGS Hamburg on April 7, the Task Force Commander, Captain Michael Budde, said the German and Indian warships from the Naval Base in Kochi would jointly leave Kochi harbour on Tuesday (April 8) for the joint exercises.
“Seamanship, replenishment at sea and exchange of ships’ personnel and flying exercises will be held in the sea off Kochi. More advanced manoeuvres like surface and submarine warfare will be held further northwards, where the Indian frigates from the Western Naval Command will join,” said Budde.
Captain Budde also added that German Navy planned to have more joint exercises with the Indian Navy on a regular basis.
Out at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, the guests visited training establishments such as the Anti-Submarine Warfare School and the Navigation and Direction School.
The German Ambassador to India, Bernd Mützelburg, said his country was looking forward to strengthening a strategic partnership with India in different sectors.
“We are willing to transfer high-tech weaponry to the Indian armed forces to help their modernisation drive. India will get top-end technology and it will be a win-win situation for both the countries in this partnership of equals. Germany needs to retain her competitive edge by making good use of the economy products manufactured in India.”
The German Ambassador said that the bilateral trade between the two countries doubled from 5 billion euros to 10 billion euros in the past three years. “Every week a German company is starting business in India. There is also tremendous increase in the military cooperation following the defence cooperation agreement signed in 2006,” he added.
Following the 2006 agreement, three working groups were formed between the two nations — to enhance military-military, military-technical and military-political contacts.
Ambassador Mützelburg said the two countries had many things in common — both are federal, secular democracies. “Both nations are striving for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.”
Also present was Rear Admiral Karl Wilhelm Bollow, Commander of Germany’s Flotilla II, who came to Kochi to inspect his units. He said the Germans would also hold joint operations with the French and South African navies.
Though Indian warships have conducted war games with nuclear carriers and submarines from France and US as well as with warships from UK, Russia and Singapore, this was their first joint exercise with German ships.
Germany has over the years made rapid strides in building up a modern naval flotilla, comprising missile destroyers, frigates and advanced submarines.
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