The two fleets practiced convoy defense, drone countermeasures, and ship-to-ship resupply in joint exercise Indra Navy 2025

Russian and Indian warships have completed joint exercises in the Bay of Bengal as part ofIndra 2025 naval drills, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. The three-day operation included live-fire artillery practice against both sea and air targets.

Crews from both countries carried out tactical maneuvers in joint formations and practiced countering unmanned aerial and surface vehicles, according to the official video released by the Russian Pacific Fleet.

Crews also practiced convoying a vessel and organizing at-sea replenishment using the traverse method from the tanker Pechenga. The video released by the Russian military shows ships from both nations conducting naval gunnery aimed at sea and air targets.

The Russian Pacific Fleet was represented by the corvettes Rezkiy and Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the tanker Pechenga. The Indian Navy fielded the destroyer Rana and the corvette Kutar.

Russian and Indian deck-based helicopters also took part in the drills. A Russian Ka-27M landed on the Indian Navy's destroyer Rana, while an Indian Chetak helicopter touched down on a Russian corvette. After completing their tasks, both navies returned to port in Chennai for the official closing ceremony and final evaluations.

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The Indra Navy exercise, held annually since 2003, is designed to enhance coordination between the two navies.

Captain 1st Rank Aleksey Antsiferov, senior officer of the Russian detachment, told TASS news agency last week that the drills provide a platform to assess readiness for joint missions.

"Indra Navy is the format of the drills that allows for exchanging experience, sharpening the skills and practicing joint actions, establishing contacts and bolstering the strategic partnership between India and Russia for jointly countering military threats at sea," Antsiferov said.

He explained that the exercise was not aimed at any particular country and was not linked to current global tensions.

(RT.com)