India and the European Union (EU) will conduct a three-day-long joint naval exercise in the Indian Ocean. This joint naval exercise is a testament to the deepening security cooperation between India and the EU.
The exercise, scheduled for June 1 to 3, will feature warships from the Indian Navy, and two frigates, one from Italy and one from Spain, which are both performing duties with the European Union Naval Force’s Operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean.
“The joint exercise will focus on advanced counter-piracy operations, interoperability, tactical manoeuvres, and enhanced communication protocols, reflecting the growing maritime security cooperation between the two sides,” the EU said in a statement on Thursday.
In recent years, EU/India naval cooperation has deepened with joint exercises in the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Guinea; the Indian Navy (IN) recently has been escorting World Food Programme-chartered vessels in concert with Operation Atalanta.
India and the EU have enhanced cooperation on maritime security in recent years, and several member States of the European bloc have published their strategies for the Indo-Pacific. “There is a shared commitment, between the EU and India, to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region,” said the statement issued.
The commitment to the commitment is rooted in our respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes consistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea.
The joint exercise will be seen as a significant follow on the visit to India of the EU College of Commissioners, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in February. One of the key deliverables of that visit was improved engagement on maritime domain awareness, to enable common understanding, coordination and interoperability.
During the fourth EU-India maritime security dialogue in March, there was a strong call for cooperation aimed at combating illicit activity at sea and for exploring opportunities for further joint maritime actions in line with the objectives of the joint exercise. In April Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, operation commander for Operation Atalanta visited India to enhance cooperation with the Indian Navy.
Operation Atalanta, launched in 2008 under a European Union mandate to combat piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Aden, has had its originally relatively narrow focus expanded over time to include a wide range of potential maritime security challenges, such as counter drug activity, arms smuggling and deterring illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Horn of Africa and the western Indian Ocean.
The warships from EU member states deployed with Operation Atalanta and operating in the Indian Ocean have conducted passing or passing exercise or “passex” with the Indian Navy in the past.
