In news : Indian Navy’s TROPEX which commenced in January is currently underway
A brief note on TROPEX
- It is Indian Navy’s largest biennial war game
- The current edition of the exercise is going on with the participation of all its operational units as well as those of the Army, Air Force and the Coast Guard has completed the weapon work-up phase and the tactical scenario phase was under way
- The exercise will culminate by the third week of February.
- The exercise is being conducted over a vast geographical expanse in the Indian Ocean Region including its adjunct waters and is aimed at testing combat readiness of the Navy in a complex multi-dimensional scenario set in the context of the current geo strategic environment.
- The Theatre Level exercise also aims to validate the Navy’s offensive-defence capabilities, safeguard national interests in the maritime domain and promote stability and peace in the Indian Ocean Region.
- Conduct of TROPEX is being overseen by Naval Headquarters with participation from all three Commands of the Indian Navy and the Tri-Services Command at Port Blair.
Phases of TROPEX
TROPEX is being progressed over distinct phases that also test the Navy’s transition from peacetime to hostilities
Exercise ‘Sea Vigil’
In the first phase, the Indian Navy had conducted coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil’along the entire coastline and Island territories of India on 12-13January 2021. This exercise aimed to validate the coastal defence setup of the country, which was entirely revamped after the 26/11 Terror attacks at Mumbai.
AMPHEX-21
Exercise Sea Vigil was followed by a large-scale Tri-Service joint amphibious exercise AMPHEX-21, which was conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands from 21-25 January. The amphibious exercise was aimed at validating India’s capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of its Island territories and enhance operational synergy and joint warfighting capabilities amongst the three Services.
The Weapon Workup Phase
The Weapon Workup Phase of TROPEX, which concluded recently, witnessed multiple ‘on-target’ ordnance deliveries including missiles, torpedoes and rockets from frontline warships, aircraft and submarines and demonstrated the lethal firepower of the Indian Navy and reaffirm the Navy’s capability to carry out long range maritime strikes in the Indian Ocean Region, a capability that is central to meeting operational challenges and ensuring safe seas and secure coasts.
