Russia, India to hold naval exercise off Mumbai coast

Three Russian warships will enter Mumbai on Wednesday to hold joint naval exercises, code-named 'INDRA', with the Indian Navy from December 2.

The two-day naval exercises will be held off the coast of Mumbai from December 2 where the Indian side would be represented by Delhi Class destroyer INS Mysore and Tabar Class guided missile frigate along with different types of aircraft in the force, Navy officials said.

The Russian side has come with destroyer Marshal Shaponishkov, fleet tug ship Alatau and fleet tanker Irkut for the exercises, they said.

Navies of India and Russia have been engaging each other in joint drills for the last few years. The Armies of the two sides also hold their drills under the same codename INDRA.

Recently, the Indian Army had sent its troops to Russia for the Army-to-Army exercises in a province close to the China-Mongolia border there.

Since 2003, India and Russia have conducted five of the INDRA-series joint ground and naval exercises. The last such exercise was held between the two countries' army units in India in October 2010.