Indian Navy Conducts Passing Exercise With US Carrier Nimitz, a Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier in Sea Near Andaman

Last updated Jul 21, 2020

New Delhi : A fleet of Indian Navy warships conducted a military exercise on Monday along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands coast with a group of US Navy led by the USS Nimitz, equipped with nuclear capability, amid a tension on the border with China. Officials said four leading warships of the Indian Navy participated in the ‘PASSEX’ exercise. This exercise took place at a time when the American Carrier Strike Group was passing through the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean region.

It is good to have friends. From #Nimitz in the Indian Ocean to #ExerciseSeaBreeze in the Black Sea, the @USNavy exercises with our professional counterparts in navies around the world. There is much we can accomplish together https://t.co/SkmGpWxjfL
— Navy Chief of Information (@chinfo) July 20, 2020

The USS Nimitz is the largest warship in the world and the importance of this exercise between the two armies has increased because it has come at a time when Chinese forces in East Ladakh and South China Sea are taking an aggressive stand. India conducted a similar exercise with the Japanese Navy last month. The Indian Navy has stepped up its surveillance operations and operational deployment in the Indian Ocean region in view of the deadlock along the border with China in eastern Ladakh.

Officials said that in view of the fast emerging regional security scenario, it has also increased its operational cooperation with friendly naval forces like Indian Navy, US Navy and Japan Maritime Security Force. Given the increasing influence of the Chinese Navy in the resource-rich region, the navies of the US, India, Australia, Japan and France have deepened their mutual cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. After increasing tension between India and China in eastern Ladakh, the government has put all three parts of the army on high alert. The Indian Navy has been asked to increase its vigil in areas of the Indian Ocean where it is frequently confronted by the Chinese Navy.