Why in the news?

  • The first edition Exercise IN–RoKN began at South Korea’s Busan Naval Base.

IN-RoKN Exercise

  • What is it?:  The first-ever bilateral naval exercise between Indian and South Korean Navies.
  • Venue: Busan Naval Base, South Korea
  • Structure of the Exercise:
    • Harbour Phase: Focused on building mutual understanding and camaraderie.
    • Sea Phase: Designed to strengthen tactical coordination and operational interoperability.
      • Complex joint maritime manoeuvres
      • Operational and tactical drills between INS Sahyadri and ROKS Gyeongnam
      • Focus on joint operations, HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) preparedness, and maritime security cooperation.
  • Participating Vessels:
    • Korean Ship: ROKS Gyeongnam
    • Indian Ship: INS Sahyadri (Shivalik-class stealth frigate)
  • Strategic Significance:
    • Strengthens Indo-Pacific Cooperation: Promotes a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
    • Bolsters India–South Korea Strategic Partnership: Reinforces defence ties established under the Special Strategic Partnership (2015).
    • Enhances Maritime Security: Focus on securing Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) and combatting non-traditional threats like piracy and smuggling.
    • Supports Shared Democratic Values: Upholds international law, freedom of navigation, and regional peace.
    • Policy: Reflects Korea’s ‘New Southern Policy’ and India’s ‘Act East Policy’ converging toward Indo-Pacific stability.
    • Builds upon past engagements such as:
      • ADMM-Plus Exercises (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus)
      • Joint participation in multilateral drills like RIMPAC and INDO-PACIFIC ENDSTATE initiatives.