In the midst of heightened tensions between an assertive China and the Philippines, Manila has been reached by three Indian warships as part of the ongoing long-range deployment to the South China Sea, aimed at bolstering maritime partnerships with friendly nations.

Docked at Manila on Sunday after similar goodwill visits to Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam in the region, the guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi, fleet tanker INS Shakti, and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan are under the command of Eastern Fleet chief Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, as reported by Times Of India.

This visit follows India's initiation of deliveries of three anti-ship coastal batteries of the 290-km BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines last month under the $375 million contract signed in January 2022. This development is anticipated by New Delhi to pave the way for additional agreements with ASEAN countries.

Rear Admiral Dhankhar emphasized, "India and the Philippines share common interests, particularly in maintaining peace and order in the Indo-Pacific region. The two navies possess strong bonds of friendship and have strived to engage in maritime partnership exercises whenever possible."

Personnel from both navies will participate in an exercise and engage in various professional interactions, including subject matter expert exchanges, cross-deck visits, cultural visits, and collaborative community outreach programs during the visit, as reported by Times Of India. Rear Admiral Dhankhar stated, "We are visiting friendly foreign countries to share our experiences and best practices with their navies."

The deployment to the South China Sea, where China is embroiled in territorial disputes with neighbouring countries, coincides with the Indian Navy closely monitoring the expanding operations of Chinese satellite and missile tracking ships in the Indian Ocean Region. These dual-use ships gather oceanographic and other data beneficial for the navigation and submarine operations of the Chinese Navy.

India has been progressively enhancing defence ties with ASEAN countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines through regular joint exercises, military exchanges, and training programs. In this pursuit, the first-ever ASEAN-India maritime exercise (AIME) was conducted in May last year, during which warships from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam engaged in joint drills in the South China Sea.

(With Agency Inputs)