Russian, Indian combat ships conduct artillery firings in Bay of Bengal in joint drills

Russian and Indian combat ships accomplished artillery firings against sea and air targets during joint drills in the Bay of Bengal, the press office of Russia’s Pacific Fleet reported on November 23.

"In the Bay of Bengal, a two-day Russian-Indian naval exercise came to an end. The crews honed the skills of replenishing supplies at sea while an Indian naval helicopter’s pilots landed on the deck of a Russian combat ship. In turn, Russian pilots practised approaches for landing on an Indian destroyer. During the exercise of defending a joint naval group against a notional enemy’s air attack weapons, the sailors conducted night artillery firings against aerial targets. Artillery fire was also conducted against a naval target," the press office said in a statement, TASS reports.

The Russian Navy was represented in the joint manoeuvres by the Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs and medium sea tanker Pechenga. The Indian Navy involved the destroyer Ranvijay and the corvette Kiltan in the joint naval exercise.

After accomplishing their objectives in the joint drills, the crews of the Russian and Indian combat ships held a farewell ceremony in the Bay of Bengal. The warships of both navies moving in parallel paths thanked each other for the joint work, the press office reported.