India, Japan, Indonesia Hold Trilateral Naval Drill in Andaman Sea

The exercise aimed to enhance joint operational readiness, improve interoperability, and strengthen maritime cooperation for a safe and stable region.

In a post on X, Spokesperson of the Indian Navy shared, "Ships from the navies of India, Japan and Indonesia undertook a trilateral exercise in the Andaman Sea on 13 Feb 26, enhancing combined operational readiness, interoperability and reinforcing maritime cooperation towards a safe, secure and stable region."

Earlier, on Thursday, the Indian Navy assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, a key multinational training task force under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

According to a press release, the change of command ceremony was conducted on February 11 at CMF Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, and was presided over by VAdm Curt A Renshaw, Commander, CMF / US NAVCEN/US Fifth Fleet.

VAdm Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS), Indian Navy, and senior military leaders from other member nations were in attendance. Cmde Milind M Mokashi, Shaurya Chakra, of the Indian Navy, formally took over as Commander CTF 154 from the outgoing Commander of the Italian Navy.

According to the release, CTF 154 is specifically oriented toward training and capacity building for member nations of the CMF. It reflects the region's growing trust in India's professional expertise, operational experience, and role as a Preferred Security Partner among the 47 nations of the CMF.CTF 154, established in May 2023, is dedicated to enhancing maritime security through multinational training programs across the Middle East and the wider region.

The task force conducts regular Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET) events, exercises such as Compass Rose and Northern/Southern Readiness, and outreach to build partner nations' operational capabilities to address common threats, including illegal trafficking, piracy, and irregular migration, according to the release.

CTF 154 operates alongside CMF's other task forces: CTF 150 (Maritime Security), CTF 151 (Counter-Piracy), CTF 152 (Maritime Security in Arabian Gulf) and CTF 153 (Maritime Security in Red Sea).

- ANI