Key Points

This mega defence exercise will also see participation by contingents from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. Bright Star 2025 is a multilateral US Central Command exercise across the air, land, and sea domains that promotes and strengthens regional security and cooperation and enhances interoperability in irregular warfare against hybrid threat scenarios.

Apart from the USA, Egypt, and India, forces from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Greece, Cyprus, and Italy are also expected to participate in the exercise. During the port call at Alexandria, INS Trikand will also engage in a host of activities to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

These include discussions with senior military officials, cross-deck visits, cultural exchanges, and sports fixtures to promote people-to-people connections.

With upcoming port calls in the region, key objectives of the operational deployment are professional naval engagements in the Mediterranean Sea to foster interoperability with partner maritime nations.

These interactions aim to strengthen commonalities in procedures and to exchange Best Practices that would aid combined operations against traditional and non-traditional maritime threats.

In the last few years, the Indian Navy has increased its engagement in the region. Last year in December, as part of strengthening the bilateral relations and naval cooperation between India and Morocco, INS Tushil arrived at Casablanca, Morocco. Morocco is a maritime nation and, like India, holds a unique geographical position with coastlines along both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.

Similarly, in August last year, INS Tabar had arrived on a two-day visit at Malaga, Spain and post departure on August 27, 2024, conducted Maritime Partnership Exercise MPX with Spanish Navy Ship Atalaya in the Mediterranean Sea.

- IANS