"Indian Naval Vessels INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand, led by Rear Admiral Vineet McCarty, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF), reached Dubai's Port Rashid on August 8, 2023, to engage in a bilateral Naval Maritime Partnership Exercise with the UAE Navy.
Following two days of meticulous planning, the two naval forces successfully executed the bilateral Maritime Partnership Exercise today, aimed at amplifying interoperability and synergy through cross-training in tactics, techniques, and procedures, while forging more robust professional connections.
During his visit, Rear Admiral McCarty held discussions with Brigadier Abdullah Farj Al Mehairbi, Deputy Commander of UAE Naval Forces at Abu Dhabi Naval Command. They concurred on intensifying interactions between the two navies to collaboratively address shared challenges such as piracy, smuggling, human trafficking, enhancing maritime security, and jointly undertaking Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief operations when the need arises.
FOCWF also had a meeting with H.E. Shri Sunjay Sudhir, India's Ambassador to the UAE, updating him on the exercise's scope, conduct, and the roadmap for Navy-to-Navy collaboration between India and the UAE.
The Ambassador underscored that the participation of these two ships in the naval exercise signifies the burgeoning Defense relations between India and the UAE, guided by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
INS Visakhapatnam, commanded by Captain Ashok Rao, stands as one of the Indian Navy's largest operational destroyers, crafted entirely by Mazagaon Docks Limited as an indigenous warship. NS Trikand, under the command of Captain Pramod G Thomas, is an advanced stealth frigate commissioned in 2013. The vessel boasts contemporary design with state-of-the-art technology seamlessly integrated into all aspects, ensuring stability, enhanced stealth capabilities, speed, and formidability."