Indian Navy's largest war game, involving its several assets like warships, submarines, aircraft with operational units of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard, is currently underway.The biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 21) commenced early January and would culminate by the third week of February."The exercise is being conducted over a vast geographical expanse in the Indian Ocean Region, including its adjunct waters and is aimed at testing combat readiness of the Navy in a complex multi-dimensional scenario set in the context of the current geostrategic environment," the Indian Navy said.
The theatre-level exercise also aims to validate Navy's offensive-defence capabilities, safeguard national interests in the maritime domain and promote stability and peace in the Indian Ocean Region.Conduct of TROPEX is being overseen by Naval Headquarters with participation from all three Commands of the Indian Navy and the Tri-Services Command at Port Blair.TROPEX is progressing over distinct phases that also test the Navy's transition from peacetime to hostilities.
Valuable lessons emerging from the exercise are being incorporated in the existing procedures to further fine-tune the coastal defence architecture of the country, it said.Exercise Sea Vigil was followed by a large-scale tri-service joint amphibious exercise AMPHEX-21, which was conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands from January 21-25.The amphibious exercise was aimed at validating India's capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of its Island territories and enhance operational synergy and joint warfighting capabilities amongst the three services.
"The Weapon Workup Phase of TROPEX, which concluded recently, witnessed multiple 'on-target' ordnance deliveries including missiles, torpedoes and rockets from frontline warships, aircraft and submarines and demonstrated the lethal firepower of the Indian Navy and reaffirm the Navy's capability to carry out long-range maritime strikes in the Indian Ocean Region, a capability that is central to meeting operational challenges and ensuring safe seas and secure coasts," it added.