Indian, Indonesian navies sync patrols

INS Guldar

The Indian Navy is carrying out coordinated patrolling with the Indonesian Navy as part of the 15th round of Ind-Indo CORPAT.

According to a statement issued by the Indian Navy, it has deployed INS Guldar [Landing Ship Tank (Medium)] under the command of Commander TV Sunil and INS Trinkat (Fast Attack Craft), captained by Lieutenant Commander Pushkar Kumar, to coordinate patrolling with an Indonesian Navy corvette. Both navies are also deploying a Dornier aircraft each.

The fortnight-long operation is under the overall control of Vice Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) and the Commander of the Indonesian Western Fleet Command (PANGARMABAR). The Indian Navy says the units in question will be under the tactical command of the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andaman and Nicobar) at Port Blair and the Indonesian Navy’s DANGUSKAMLABAR (Commander of Sea Security Group of the Western Fleet), located at Tanjung Pinang.

The two countries share a 300 nautical mile-long maritime boundary and the two navies conduct coordinated patrols of the International Maritime Boundary Line to prevent piracy, armed robbery, poaching, illegal immigration, drug trafficking etc.

The last Ind-Indo CORPAT was held in October-November last year. The last time the two navies met was during the 13-nation exercise, MILAN, held last month around the Andaman and Nicobar island group.