INS Sumedha arrives in Mozambique, joint EEZ surveillance to be held

New Delhi: Indian Naval Ship Sumedha, which is on an extended deployment to Africa, arrived in Maputo and will hold joint Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance with the Mozambique Navy between November 23 and 25, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

In an official statement, the ministry said the ship arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, on Tuesday.

The port call is aimed at strengthening long-standing diplomatic relations, reinforcing maritime cooperation and boosting interoperability between both the navies, it said.

During the visit, the two Navies will hold professional interactions, cross-deck visits, planning conferences and joint EEZ surveillance will be done, it said.

Activities during the port call include courtesy calls by the commanding officer on various dignitaries and government officials of Mozambique, including the Navy Commandant, Mozambique Navy and Mayor of Maputo City.

The ministry said Mozambique and India have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly bilateral relations, and share common values of democracy, development and secularism.

Bilateral Defence Cooperation is also being progressed through regular Joint Defence Working Group (JDWG) meetings, it said.

"Indian Naval ships are regularly deployed overseas as part of Indian Navy’s mission of building ‘bridges of friendship’ and strengthening international cooperation with friendly countries," the statement said.

INS Sumedha is part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and functions under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

The ship is equipped with several weapon systems, sensors, state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems/electronic warfare suits.

Sumedha has undertaken various fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions in the past.