As part of the operational deployment of the Indian Navy, Indian Naval Ships ‘Udayagiri’ and ‘Kavaratti’ under the command of Rear Admiral Alok Anand completed a visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 22 to 24 June 2024. Alok Anand is the Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Fleet i.e. FOCEF. He met with senior officials of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnamese People’s Navy and shared views on maritime cooperation, professional coordination and regional maritime security. The visit also included a flower laying ceremony at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh, where the Flag Officer Commanding along with the Commanding Officers of INS Udayagiri and INS Kavaratti paid tribute to the great legacy of this visionary leader.
During the visit, personnel of the Indian Navy and Vietnam People’s Navy participated in a number of professional interactions and bilateral exercises. This provided an opportunity to both navies to share operational experience and strengthen their shared commitment towards maritime security and safe seas. Not only this, on the occasion of 12th International Yoga Day, a joint yoga session was also organized on INS Kavaratti, in which the personnel participated enthusiastically. During the visit, INS Udayagiri hosted the Ambassador of India to Vietnam, representatives of the Vietnam People’s Navy, members of the diplomatic community and other special guests.
In fact, India and Vietnam have an ‘Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’, which is based on mutual trust, common interests and deep people-to-people ties. The visit reinforces the Government of India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and vision of ‘MAHASAGAR’ and reflects India’s continued commitment towards constructive maritime engagement and cooperation with friendly countries in the region.
India will give BrahMos missiles to Vietnam
The visit comes weeks after Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh revealed at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month that India has signed a deal to supply BrahMos missiles to Vietnam, making Vietnam the missile’s second export customer after the Philippines. In fact, Vietnam has for many years been looking for a shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos missile to strengthen its coastal defense capabilities in the South China Sea, where it is embroiled in territorial disputes with China and India had earlier gifted the missile warship INS Kirpan to the People’s Navy of Vietnam.
INS Udayagiri is equipped with advanced sensors
If we talk about INS Udayagiri, it was inducted into the Indian Navy in August last year. This is the second stealth frigate of Project-17A built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. The warship is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, long-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine weapons and advanced sensors for multi-domain operations.
Leave a Reply