Article Posted on : - Jun 15, 2010

Indian Navy Dornier Do 228 -101(B Harry) built in collaboration with HAL

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Navy has deployed four of its Dornier patrol-cum-transport aircraft in Singapore for a four-day coordinated surveillance in the waters where its warships are currently operating.

"Four Dornier have landed in Singapore and these aircraft will remain there for four days to carry out surveillance sorties," a Navy officer said here Monday.

The Dorniers would assist the Indian Navy ships INS Rana and INS Ranjit, guided missile destroyers, INS Jyothi, a fleet tanker and INS Kulish, a missile corvette, that are operating in the waters on their way back home after a month-long deployment on the eastern seaboard.

"The four aircraft would carry out coordinated surveillance along with the Indian Navy ships operating in the waters around Singapore," the officer said.

The ships had during the deployment through May and June this year visited the ports of Hai Phong in Vietnam in the South China Sea, Jakarta in Indonesia, Manila in Philippines, Muara in Brunei, Bangkok in Thailand, Fremantle in Australia and Port Kelang in Malaysia.

During these visits to the ports, the Indian warships carried out passage exercises with the navies of these countries.

The warships, belonging to the Eastern Fleet based in Visakhapatnam, were sailing under the flag command of Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) Rear Admiral P N Murugesan.

These ships are expected to return to the Indian waters by the end of this month. The Dorniers would return after their surveillance missions are completed.