times of india, feb 2 (rajat pandit)
NEW DELHI: In one of the largest maritime exercises in recent times, India’s western and eastern naval fleets have amassed their warships, submarines, aircraft and helicopters on the western seaboard to conduct intensive combat manoeuvres in the entire Arabian Sea.
Given the sheer size of this “theatre readiness operational exercise”or “Tropex”and its proximity to the Pakistani waters, New Delhi has given “advance notice”to Islamabad under a long-standing bilateral agreement.
The agreement, inked in April 1991, is a safeguard to prevent “any crisis situation”from developing due to “misreading”of the each other’s “intentions”during the conduct of large wargames.
Sources said Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Army Chief General J J Singh will be witnessing the “work up”of the two fleets on Friday, which will be followed by the “tactical phase”of the exercise later this month.
“Over 50 frontline warships, including aircraft carrier ‘INS Viraat’, Delhi-class destroyers, Talwar-class stealth frigates and Kilo-class submarines, will be part of Tropex,”said a source.
“Tropex will also include elements from the Army, IAF and Coast Guard. From the IAF, for instance, maritime strike Jaguar fighters will take part in the manoeuvres,”he added.
Apart from its sheer scale, the exercise is significant since one of its objectives will be to practice the operational concept of “maritime manoeuvre from the sea”.
The concept is basically designed to ensure that in the short, swift and intense conflicts of the future, the Navy is able to favourably influence the outcome of the land-air battle
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