INS Trikand in Greece for maiden bilateral maritime exercise

New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) The maiden bilateral maritime exercise between India and Greece will be steered by Indian Naval Ship Trikand, which was called at Salamis Bay, Greece, during her ongoing deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, an official said on Sunday.

During the visit, INS Trikand, a stealth frigate which reached Greece on Saturday, will look to enhance interoperability, refine tactical skills and deepen operational synergy.

During the port call at Salamis Bay, INS Trikand will engage in a host of activities to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation and collaboration.

These include interaction with senior military officials, planning discussions, cross-deck visits and cultural exchanges to promote people-to-people connect. This will be followed by the sea phase of the exercise, the official said in a statement.

On completion of the bilateral exercise, the ship will proceed to the next phase of deployment in the region, it said.

Earlier, INS Trikand docked at Alexandria, Egypt, on September 1, 2025, during her deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, to participate in exercise Bright Star 2025, hosted by Egypt from September 1 to 10.

This mega defence exercise saw participation by contingents from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

Bright Star 2025 was a multilateral US Central Command exercise across the air, land, and sea domains that promoted and strengthened regional security and cooperation and enhanced interoperability in irregular warfare against hybrid threat scenarios.

Apart from the US, Egypt, and India, forces from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Greece, Cyprus, and Italy participated in the exercise. During the port call at Alexandria, INS Trikand also engaged 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.

--IANS

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