Naval chief heads for Bangladesh to boost defence cooperation

NEW DELHI: Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is now headed for Bangladesh to boost bilateral military ties, even as the Indian Army is holding a joint training capsule on anti-terror operations for junior commanders from that country at the Danapur Cantonment in Bihar.

Admiral Lanba, who is also the country's senior most military officer as the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, will be in Bangladesh from November 26 to 28 to "consolidate bilateral naval relations" and explore new avenues of defence cooperation as well as participate in the International Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX), said officials.

IMMSAREX, which will be inaugurated by PM Sheikh Hasina in Cox Bazar on Monday, is being held under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). A multi-lateral maritime cooperation forum set up by Indian Navy in 2008, IONS has grown into a large organisation with 23 "membernations" and nine "observer countries" at present.


Bangladesh, the current "chair" of IONS, is conducting thisfirst-ever IMMSAREXoperational exercise under its charter. Indian destroyer INS Ranvir, stealth frigate INS Sahyadri, amphibious warship INS Gharial and patrol vessel INS Sukanya, apart from a P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, are taking part in the exercise.

As reported earlier by TOI, after a bilateral combat exercise called "Sampriti" at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte in Mizoram, India is now holding the joint training capsule for junior commanders from the Bangladesh Army on anti-terror operations at theDanapur Cantonment from November 13.