Article Posted on : - Dec 10, 2008

File photo of Russia's missile cruiser 'Pyotr Veliky'. RIA Novosti photo

MOSCOW (PTI): Russia's most potent nuclear-powered heavy missile cruiser set out on a voyage to India from here on Tuesday to participate in joint naval war games with the Indian Navy in January next year.

‘Pyotr Veliky’ (Peter-the-Great), known as the 'Killer of Aircraft Carriers' will be in warmer waters of the Indian Ocean for large-scale exercises with the Navy, during which they will train on how to destruct aircraft carriers.

"In accordance with an order issued by Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, a naval squadron consisting of the large anti-submarine ship will head to the Indian Ocean, where the Northern Fleet of Russia will take part in joint Indo-Russian exercise 'Indra-2009', Itar-Tass news agency reported quoting an official.

The programme for the exercise provides for a joint drill of tasks to protect navigation, fight sea piracy and terrorist actions and hold artillery and missile firing practice.

This is the fourth such exercise since 2003 under the inter-services cooperation agreement between the two countries. New Delhi and Moscow held complex war games in the Sea of Japan last year.

Although combating piracy and terrorists on the high seas have been declared the main aim of the INDRA-series naval war games, in the first such exercise the Russian and Indian navies had practiced in the destruction of an 'enemy' aircraft carrier and anti-submarine warfare had been an indispensable part of the joint drills conducted every alternate year.