Question:Indian Naval ships conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the navy of which country?
(a) France
(b) Japan
(c) USA
(d) All the above
Answer:(d)
- Context:
- Indian Naval ships conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the U.S. Navy’s USS Nimitz carrier strike group near the Andaman and Nicobar islands as it is transiting the Indian Ocean.
- About:
- The maritime drill, PASSEX, aims at further enhancing interoperability between Navies of both the countries. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is on its way to be deployed in the Gulf region from the South China Sea.
- With regular large-scale exercises deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic,The Indian Navy had conducted similar PASSEXs with Japanese and French Navy in the recent past.
- Additional Facts:
- The exercise comes amid a high alert by the Navy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) due to the stand-off with China along the border in Ladakh.
- The Navy is keeping a close watch on the movement in the IOR of Chinese naval ships, whose presence has gone up considerably over the years in the name of anti-piracy patrols.
- In 2017, China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
By:Arpit Mishara
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