The Indian Navy is currently participating in the La Perouse 25 naval exercise, a significant multinational event aimed at enhancing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. This exercise, which commenced on January 16 and will run until January 24, involves the Indian Navy's destroyer INS Mumbai alongside eight other nations, including Australia, Canada, the United States, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

The exercise is being conducted in crucial maritime straits such as Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok, which are vital for global trade but also face various risks including maritime accidents and illegal activities.

Led by the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG) under Mission Clemenceau 25, La Perouse 25 focuses on improving interoperability among participating navies to respond collectively to maritime crises.

The training includes complex maritime security operations and the use of advanced communication systems like IORIS for effective coordination during emergencies. This collaborative effort highlights the increasing importance of regional cooperation in addressing shared security challenges.

The participating nations will engage in various training scenarios aimed at enhancing their capabilities to conduct operations such as searching for and intervening against vessels suspected of illicit activities.

"The planned interactions will enable work on a broad spectrum of maritime security operations. The various forces distributed in the area will train to search for and then intervene on ships suspected of illicit activities, with suspect vessels being played by vessels of the force," it added.

All navies would use IORIS, a system for communication and coordination during maritime crises, to synchronise their efforts.

"During this exercise, all navies will train in the use of IORIS, a communication and coordination system dedicated to the exchange of information and documents in order to effectively and collectively face a maritime crisis in a synchronised manner," the release further read.

ANI