INDRA (India-Russia), a joint bi-annual military exercise conducted by India and Russia to boost cooperation and interoperability between the Russian and Indian Navies has been postponed this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, according to sources.
The bilateral naval exercise has been held since 2003 wherein since 2017 it has assumed a Joint tri-services scope with corresponding maturity and gradual increase in scope, complexity and level of participation. In 2019, the last INDRA Tri-services between the Army, Navy and Airforce was held.
India-Russia (INDRA) Exercises between the Army, Navy & Air Force of two countries have been held since 2005. Joint Tri-Services Exercises “INDRA” are also being held once in two years since 2017. The last INDRA Tri-Services Exercise was held in India in December 2019: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2020
INDRA NAVY-2020, earlier planned to be held in Vladivostok, Russia is now going to be held as a “non-contact, at sea only” Passage Exercise (PASSEX), in accordance with the proposal put forth by Russian Navy. This would help maintain the continuity of engagements between the two navies, according to sources.
The PASSEX will now be conducted onSeptember4-5, during the passage of Russian Navy ships from Hambantota to Malacca Straits in the Bay of Bengal.
