Two Indian naval ships dock at Abu Dhabi port

ABU DHABI — Two Indian naval warships, ‘INS Rajput’ and ‘INS Betwa’ were on Monday welcomed by the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Talmiz Ahmad, at the Abu Dhabi Port Mina Zayed. The ships will stay in the country until August 30.

By Anwar Ahmad

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Published: Wed 29 Aug 2007, 8:58 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 2:03 AM

‘INS Rajput’ is commanded by Captain A.K. Jain and ‘INS Betwa’ by Captain Sanjay Bhutani.

The visit of the two ships is aimed at fostering maritime goodwill between India and the UAE as both countries share a rich cultural and maritime heritage.

‘INS Rajput’ will head for Djibouti and ‘INS Betwa’ for Oman after the “joint passage exercise” with the UAE naval forces on August 30.

Rear Admiral Shekhar Sinha of ‘INS Rajput’ delivered the opening address and expressed the hope for better relationship in the field of maritime with the UAE.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad said, “I am very delighted with the visit of the two Indian naval ships. They are part of historic maritime linkages that India has had with the Gulf for several centuries. Our mission is a mission of goodwill and friendship. We want to exchange ideas with the personnel of the UAE Navy about the development, technology, its strategy and tactics.”

“No relationship can be nourished on the basis of nostalgia alone but it needs to be refreshed with new ideas and new realities and we are committed to that purpose. The UAE Government welcomes our visit and we exchange ideas to benefit from each other. We hear them very carefully, we benefit from their inputs, that is why our cooperation and friendship is progressing all the time,” the ambassador added.

Captain Jain of ‘INS Rajput’ said, “Our relations with the UAE are progressing, not only in the defence sector but in other areas too. Basically, we have come here to reaffirm our relationship. In fact, lots of cooperation is going on between the UAE and Indian government in the field of maritime.”

He added, “The naval chiefs of both countries have exchanged ideas in the recent past and it is a healthy sign of progress. We are here to do some exercise with the UAE naval forces. We precisely got very positive signs from them.”

These Indian naval warships are a part of the Western and Eastern Naval Commands based at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam, respectively.

‘INS Rajput’ is the first Kashin II class guided missile destroyer. It is fitted with an array of weapons and sensors and is designed for multi-dimensional combat operations.

The guided missile frigate, ‘INS Betwa’, is a modern warship with capabilities to carry out maritime operations.



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