Cape Town: The ninth edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR) Exercise got underway at Simon’s Town in South Africa with the arrival of Indian Naval Ship Tarkash, the Consulate General of India in Cape Town said on Monday.
“9th Edition IBSAMAR gets underway at Simon’s Town, South Africa with arrival of INS Tarkash on 11 Oct 26. The exercise will be conducted on the West Coast with South Africa as hosts and India as lead nation from 12-22 Oct, with joint training and interoperability as objectives,” the Indian Consulate General posted on X.
The trilateral exercise brings together the Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies with the aim of enhancing interoperability, strengthening maritime cooperation and promoting mutual understanding, the Ministry of Defence said.
“IBSAMAR has been conducted biennially since 2008 under the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) framework and has emerged as an important platform for collective training and exchange of operational best practices amongst the three Navies,” the ministry said.
The exercise covers surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, naval air operations, maritime interdiction, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), anti-piracy operations, search and rescue, damage control and firefighting, besides professional interactions.
“The current edition IBSAMAR IX holds significance in the context of furthering maritime cooperation and security in Indian Ocean Region. The theme of IBSAMAR IX is Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain. It aims to promote collective maritime security and preparedness to address maritime challenges,” the ministry added.
The South African Navy will participate with SAS Amatola, SAS King Sekhukhune I and SAS Adam Kok III, along with the submarine SAS Manthatisi, while Brazil will be represented by BNS Barroso with an integral Lynx helicopter. INS Tarkash is participating with an integral Chetak helicopter.
INS Tarkash reached South Africa after a port visit to Kenya earlier this month.
The frigate departed from Kenya’s Mombasa on October 2 following a successful port visit, deepening maritime cooperation and close ties between India and the East African nation.
(IANS)
