News: Indian naval ships conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the United States Navy’s USS Nimitz carrier strike group near the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) islands.
Facts:
- Passage Exercise is an exercise done between two navies to ensure that the navies are able to communicate and cooperate in times of war or humanitarian relief.
- The Indian Navy had recently conducted similar passing exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and French Navy.
- Significance: The exercise comes amidst high alert by the Navy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) due to the ongoing stand-off with China along the border in Ladakh.
Additional Facts:
Exercise Malabar: It is a trilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan and India as permanent partners.
