The United States navy will field its most-powerful warships led by the latest nuclear-powered super-carrier USS Ronald Reagan and nuclear submarine USS Springfield in a new range of war games in the Arabian sea from October 15, a naval official has informed. Indian and US warships will undertake complex air-to-air, under-sea and warship-to-warship manoeuvres in the war games for ten days, the official said.
Along with the carriers and submarines, the Malabar series of war games on India's western seaboard will also see participation by latest guided missile cruisers, destroyers and frigates as well as long range maritime F-18 and Jaguar fighters. "The naval war games will be complex in nature involving anti-submarine warfare manoeuvres, flying operations and cross deck embarkations," the naval official said, signaling a resolve of the two countries to take their military-to-military interaction to a new high. The new Malabar series of wargames come close on the heels of front line Indian Air Force Sukhoi fighters taking part for the first time in fighter exercises at the world's most advanced air war games complex at Nellis Air Base in the Nevada desert of the United States.
Along with the carrier Ronald Reagan, which is the latest and ninth ship of Nimitz-class with the displacement of 95,000 tonnes, five more surface ships of the US navy will be participating in the Arabian sea war games. These warships are guided missile cruiser USS Chancellor's Villa, guided missile destroyer USS Gridley and a guided missile frigate USS Thach and two auxiliary ships USS Bridge and Decator. It is for the first time that Super carrier Ronald Reagan will be in action in waters close to the Indian subcontinent. Indian warships had exercises with USS Ronald Reagan in waters off Sri Lankan coast last year.
India will field its entire range of indigenous warships led by INS Mumbai for the wargames. Other Indian warships will include Rajput-class missile destroyer, Stealth Talwar-class frigates and Godavari, Brahmaputra and Betwa-class ships. As India is yet to acquire a nuclear submarine, it will field SSK-class submarine INS Sishukumar. The US navy is also bringing its Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine USS Springfield for the wargames. The presence of Nimitz-class supercarrier in multi-nation wargames in the Bay of Bengal last year had triggered some protests from the Left parties. However, there are no such protests this year.
The new Malabar series of wargames will be co-supervised by Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral J S Bedi and one-star Admiral from the US navy. India will field its entire range of indigenous warships led by INS Mumbai for the wargames. Other Indian warships will include Rajput-class missile destroyer, Stealth Talwar-class frigates and Godavari, Brahmaputra and Betwa-class ships.
As India is yet to acquire a nuclear submarine, it will field SSK-class submarine INS Sishukumar.
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