Description

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Context:

The indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer INS Mumbai is participating in the fourth edition of the Multinational Exercise LA PEROUSE.

About Exercise LA PEROUSE

Aspect	Details
What it is	La Perouse is a multilateral naval exercise focused on enhancing maritime security, interoperability, and situational awareness among navies.
Host Country	France, with its Carrier Strike Group, led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Location	Straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok – key critical points between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Members (2025 Edition)	India, France, USA, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the UK.
Aim and Objectives
Maritime Security	Focus on issues such as illicit trade, environmental threats, and maritime crises.
Enhanced Cooperation	Train in maritime surveillance, air operations, and maritime interdiction.
Interoperability	Use of advanced systems like IORIS for synchronized crisis management.
Commitment to the Rules-Based Order	Promote a stable and secure Indo-Pacific in line with India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

Significance of the Exercise

Maritime Cooperation: Demonstrates the commitment of like-minded navies to a rules-based international order. It reinforces India's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
Regional Security: Enhances the collective ability to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Strategic Synergy: Promotes closer ties between partner navies, improving planning, coordination, and operational efficiency.

About Straits of Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok

They are critical sea lanes that connect the Indian and Pacific oceans and facilitate global trade routes.
Strait of Malacca, a waterway connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pacific Ocean) serves as one of the world's most important maritime routes for global trade.
The Sunda Strait is located between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java and serves as an important trade route.
The Lombok Strait (Indonesian: Selat Lombok) is a strait of the Bali Sea connecting to the Indian Ocean and is located between the islands of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia. These straits are strategic hubs vital to international trade and maritime security.

Source:

The Hindu

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Exercise La Perouse is a significant multilateral naval exercise aimed at enhancing maritime security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Discuss the objectives, participating countries, and the strategic importance of this exercise in the context of regional security dynamics. (250 words)