Source : The Times of India
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| INS Satpura reaches Pearl Harbour in Hawaii (Image Source: Twitter @RimofthePacific) |
New Delhi: Indian multi-role stealth frigate INS Satpura and a P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft have reached Pearl Harbour in Hawaii to take part in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, which is the world’s largest naval wargames including the four `Quad’ countries and the nations around the South China Sea.
“The exercise spanning over six weeks of intense operations and training is aimed at enhancing interoperability and building trust among the navies of friendly foreign countries. Led by the US Navy, 27 countries are participating in the current edition of the multi-dimensional exercise,” Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said on Tuesday. 
“INS Satpura is an indigenously designed and built 6000-tonne guided missile stealth frigate, equipped to seek and destroy adversaries in air, surface and underwater. The warship is currently on an extended operational deployment,” he added.
The RIMPAC exercise will witness 38 warships, four submarines and 170 aircraft taking part, along with 25,000 personnel including ground troops, with an eye firmly on China and ensuring “a free and open Indo-Pacific”. India conducts the top-notch annual Malabar exercise with the other three Quad countries, the US, Japan and Australia, apart from several bilateral and trilateral exercises.
