Indian Naval Ship Satpura arrives in Indonesia to participate in Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo

New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Indian Naval Ship Satpura on Monday arrived at Makassar, Indonesia to participate in the 4th Edition of Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo and International Fleet Review.

This four-day exercise which began on Sunday will continue till June 8, 2023, in Makassar, Indonesia. This event marks the fourth iteration of the exercise since its inception in 2014.
Taking to Twitter, a Spokesperson of the Indian Navy said, “As part of her ongoing deployment to #ASEAN countries, #INSSatpura arrived at Makassar, #Indonesia to participate in the 4th Edition of Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK 2023) & International Fleet Review.”

“#IndianNavy’s regular participation in the MNEK is a reaffirmation of #India’s commitment to engage with regional navies to ensure #SecurityAndGrowthforAllintheRegion,” it added.

The navies of 36 countries celebrated the opening of the international exercise of the 2023 Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK), themed “Partnership to Recover and to Rise Stronger,” in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Antara News Agency reported.

The participants from 36 countries will partake in various activities scheduled on June 5-8, 2023, such as Ice Breaking, International Fleet Review (IFR), International Maritime Security Symposium (IMSS), City Tour, City Parade, Fun Bike, Admiral Lunch, Bilateral Meeting Welcome Dinner, Maritime Exhibition, and Gala Dinner, according to Antara News Agency.

Meanwhile, China will participate in the MNEK and send the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s destroyer and frigate Xuchang.

“At the invitation of the Indonesian Navy, the Chinese PLA Navy’s destroyer Zhanjiang and frigate Xuchang will participate in the KOMODO-2023 multinational joint maritime exercise, which is to be held in early June in Indonesia,” according to a written statement released by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday.

China is also planning a joint drill with some countries of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The drills are named Amana Youyi-2023, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, relations between China and the US have been tense, with friction between the world’s two largest economies over everything from Taiwan and Beijing’s human rights record to its military activity in the South China Sea.