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Context

India and Russia kick-started a six-day Indra exercise off Chennai in line with their close defence and strategic ties.

Details

Participating Units

Activities During the Exercise

Harbour Phase (Chennai)

Subject Matter Expert Exchanges

Reciprocal Visits

Sports Fixtures

Pre-sail Briefings

Sea Phase (Bay of Bengal)

Tactical Manoeuvres

Live Weapon Firings

Anti-air Operations

Underway Replenishment

Helicopter Cross-deck Landings

Exchange of Sea Riders

INDRA Series

INDRA (Land): Focuses on counter-terrorism operations, anti-insurgency drills and humanitarian aid missions.

AVIA INDRA (Air): Emphasizes joint air operations and air defense maneuvers.

INDRA NAVY (Sea): Enhances maritime security and naval warfare capabilities including anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction and search and rescue missions.

Objectives

Enhance maritime cooperation.

Strengthen naval interoperability.

Share best operational practices.

Foster defence diplomacy and mutual trust.

India-Russia Defence Cooperation

Defence cooperation is an important pillar of the India-Russia strategic partnership.

It is guided by the Agreement on the Programme for Military Technical Cooperation signed between the two countries.

The Agreement for 2021-2031 was signed during the inaugural meeting of India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue which was held in Delhi on 6th December 2021.

India and Russia have an institutionalized structure to oversee the complete range of issues of military and military technical cooperation. The inaugural India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue was held in Delhi in 2021.

The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), set up in 2000, is at the apex of this structure.

The two Defence Ministers meet annually, alternately in Russia and India, to discuss and review the status of ongoing projects and other issues of military and military technical cooperation.

Bilateral projects currently underway include licensed production of T-90 tanks and Su-30-MKI aircraft, supply of MiG-29-K aircraft and Kamov-31, upgrade of MiG-29 aircraft, etc.

Over the years, cooperation in the military technical sphere has evolved from a purely buyer-seller relationship to joint research, design development and production of state of the art military platforms.

Production of the Brahmos cruise missile is an example of this trend. The joint Venture namely Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) has been established and it has started production of AK-203 rifles in India under “Make in India” initiative.

Joint exercises between the three Armed Forces are held under the title "INDRA".

Sources:

ET