Article Posted on : - Oct 29, 2013

Ships of Indian Navy's Western Fleet in operation during the ongoing Defence of Gujarat Exercise off the littorals of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Photo: PTI.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Navy is carrying out a week-long war game codenamed 'Exercise Defence of Gujarat' along that state and Maharashtra to test the operational preparedness of its fleet in defending vital offshore assets.

The week-long exercise started last week and is scheduled to end on Tuesday, a Navy release said.

"A large-scale annual operational exercise of the Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy will conclude on Tuesday off the littorals of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"The exercise 'Defence of Gujarat Exercise' tested the operational readiness of the Navy in relation to littoral combat and the defence of vital offshore assets in the northern coastal states of Western seaboard of India," it said.

The Navy has deployed its frontline assets for the exercise including large warships such as the Delhi class destroyers, Teg and Godavari class frigates operating under the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF).

The exercise also witnessed intense flying activity by the maritime surveillance aircraft such as the TU 142Ms, IL-38SDs, Dorniers and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Searcher and Heron.

The exercise also involved a large number of vessels of the local flotilla including potent missile vessels of the 22nd Killer Squadron, patrol vessels and minesweepers operating under the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG).

Coast Guard patrol vessels, integrated into the operations played a key part in providing multiple layers of defensive surveillance.