The Russian navy has routinely held drills with allies and BRICS members such as China and India [Xinhua]
The Russian Pacific Fleet Command announced on Tuesday that the India-Russia naval exercises – named Indra NAVY-2016 – will begin on December 14 and comprise two stages.
Naval-land drills be held off the southeastern coastal city of Visakhapatnam in India from the 14th to the 18th. Phase two, which involves naval sea drills, will begin on December 19 and conclude on the 21st.
This is the fifth such set of exercises under the Indra name.
Russian news agency TASS quoted Eastern Military District spokesman for the Pacific Fleet Captain Vladimir Matveyev as saying that the venues had been decided during a prior meeting of defense officials from both countries.
The Indian naval contingent comprises a destroyer, a corvette and a tanker, according to Delhi sources.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced that its airborne troops will begin to participate in joint military tactical, strategic, and anti-terrorism drills in Armenia, Nicaragua and Belarus beginning next year.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that during 2016, its airborne troops took part in 15 such joint exercises in Russia, Europe, North Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
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