As part of its long-range operational deployment to the North Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, INS Kadmatt arrived in Bangkok on 19 December. The primary objective of this visit is to strengthen maritime cooperation between India and Thailand and enhance the interoperability of their navies.
The planned harbour activities during the operational turnaround include a cross-ship visit by personnel from the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Academy and a planning conference for the Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX). Following its departure from Bangkok, INS Kadmatt will engage in the MPX with HTMS Rattanakosin, a corvette of the Royal Thai Navy.
Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, visited INS Kadmatt on 21 December, to interact with the ship’s crew. Admiral Kumar is leading the Indian Naval delegation at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC), hosted by the Royal Thai Navy in Bangkok from December 19 to 22.
Commissioned on 7 January 2016, INS Kadmatt is the second of four indigenous ASW corvettes in the Indian Navy. The ship has actively participated in numerous joint naval exercises with friendly nations, contributing to regional security and fostering maritime ties. INS Kadmatt can carry out a wide range of missions equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensor packages. It is part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based in Visakhapatnam, operating under the command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
Blue Economy Focus at IONS Conclave Paves the Way for Sustainable Development
The 8th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) is being held in Bangkok from 19 to 22 December. Admiral R Hari Kumar leads a three-member Indian Naval delegation for the Conclave.
IONS, conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008, serves as a forum to enhance maritime cooperation among the navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. It provides an open and inclusive platform for discussions on regionally relevant maritime issues. The 8th Conclave is attended by chiefs of navies/heads of maritime agencies of IONS countries, marking the transfer of IONS chairmanship from France to Thailand.
A seminar on the theme ‘Blue Economy: Ways Forward for Sustainable Development of IONS Member States’ took place alongside the Conclave of Chiefs (CoC). Commodore Manmeet S Khurana, Commodore (Foreign Cooperation) from the Indian Navy, presented a paper on ‘Security is Foundation for Peaceful and Sustainable Blue Economy.’ Various bilateral interactions occurred on the sidelines of the Conclave to foster greater maritime cooperation and understanding among IONS countries.
India is set to assume the Chair of IONS for the period 2025-27 during the 9th CoC, which is planned to be held in India at the end of 2025.
Team BharatShakti
