INDIAN NAVY HOSTS FIFTH EDITION OF BILATERAL EXERCISE 'SAMUDRA SHAKTI' – 2025 WITH INDONESIAN NAVY AT VISAKHAPATNAM

IN NEWS: Indian Navy Hosts Fifth Edition of Bilateral Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti – 2025’ with Indonesian Navy at Visakhapatnam

UPSC STYLE ANALYSIS

1. Context:
   The Indian Navy is hosting the fifth edition of the Indo-Indonesian Joint Bilateral Maritime Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti – 2025’ at Visakhapatnam from 14–17 October 2025.
2. Participating Units:
   • INS Kavaratti – An Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette of the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command (ENC).
   • KRI John Lie – A Corvette from the Indonesian Navy equipped with an integral helicopter, arrived at Visakhapatnam to a warm welcome by ENC.
3. Harbour Phase Activities:
   • Focused on building camaraderie and professional rapport.
   • Included Cross Deck Visits, Joint Yoga sessions, Friendly Sports fixtures, and Professional Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE).
4. Sea Phase Activities:
   • Featured dynamic and complex maritime operations to enhance tactical coordination.
   • Included:
     • Helicopter Operations
     • Air Defence Exercises
     • Weapon Firing Drills
     • Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) Exercises
5. Objective of the Exercise:
   • To enhance interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy.
   • To strengthen mutual understanding and share best maritime practices.
   • To reinforce the shared commitment of India and Indonesia towards maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
6. Significance:
   • Reflects India’s proactive role in maritime diplomacy and regional security.
   • Enhances bilateral naval cooperation under the framework of India’s ‘Act East Policy’.
   • Strengthens collective maritime capability to ensure a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

STATIC PART (RELEVANT FOR UPSC)

1. INS Kavaratti:
   • Type: Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette (Project 28 - Kamorta Class).
   • Built by: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
   • Commissioned: 2020.
2. Eastern Naval Command (ENC):
   • Headquarters: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
   • Role: Responsible for operations in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
3. KRI John Lie:
   • A Sigma-class Corvette of the Indonesian Navy.
   • Designed for multi-role maritime operations.
4. VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure):
   • A standard naval operation to inspect or seize vessels suspected of illegal activities such as piracy or smuggling.
5. India–Indonesia Naval Cooperation:
   • Conducted under the broader framework of defence diplomacy and Indo-Pacific strategic engagement.
   • Exercises like Samudra Shakti complement Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and ASEAN maritime cooperation.

Updated – 15 Oct 2025 ; 02:34 PM | PIB Delhi