26 April, 2007 (FIDSNS)

The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Sangram Singh Byce has arrived to attend the exercises. From the Russian side Vice Admiral Sergej Awramenko, deputy commander of the Pacific fleet is attending the excercises.

The objective of the excercise will be destruction of a terrorist speedboat, detection and clearing of mines, anti-submarine depth-charge drills, rescue of a distressed ship and landing of helicopters on board Russian and Indian ships for deploying commandos to simulate hostage rescue from a hijacked ship.

The Russian Naval airwing will deploy an Il-38 maritime reconnaissance aircraft, a SU-27 fighter aircraft, a Ka-27PS helicopter and a Ka-27PL helicopter. The Indian Navy is deploying Sea King helicopters. Indian Navy Sea King helicopter is expected to land on board the Marshal Shaposhnikov, a Russian submarine hunter.

The Russian Pacific Fleet is fielding the anti-submarine warships Marshal Shaposhnikov and the Admiral Vinogradov. Other ships deployed are a missile boat, a diesel submarine, several mine sweepers, the tanker Pechenga and two tugboats. The Indian Navy is fielding the guided missile destroyers INS Mysore, INS Ranjit and INS Rana. In addtioon it has deployed the missile corvette INS Kutar and fleet tanker, INS Jyoti.

The INDRA 2007 exercises are taking place at the Pyotr Veliky Bay, near Vladivostok.