Article Posted on : - May 26, 2010

INS Rana, one of the warships sent on eastward deployment.

NEW DELHI (PTI): To strengthen relations with navies in the east, India has sent four of its warships on eastward deployment for over a month to countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

"Guided missile destroyers INS Rana and INS Ranjit, fleet tanker INS Jyoti and missile corvette INS Kulish are on eastward deployment. Of these ships, INS Rana arrived in Jakarta Tuesday," Navy officials said Tuesday.

The ships, which left India in the second week of May, will undertake passage exercises with the navies of countries including Indonesia, Australia and Singapore, they added.

Along with Jakarta, the ships of Navy's eastern fleet will make port calls at various cities including Hai Phong (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines), Muara (Brunei), Bangkok (Thailand), Fremantle (Australia), Singapore and Port Kelang (Malaysia).

The ships are sailing under the flag of Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral P N Murugesan and are likely to return by the end of June 10.