Recently, the Indian Navy’s Destroyer INS Delhi, German Navy’s Frigate Baden-Württemberg—the lead ship of the F125 class of German Navy frigates—and Tanker Frankfurt Am Main undertook a maritime partnership exercise in the Indian Ocean, including cross deck flying operations, underway replenishment, weapon firing and tactical manoeuvres.
The maiden IN – GN Maritime Partnership Exercise was aimed at strengthening the maritime cooperation and interoperability between the navies.
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Rear Admiral Helge Risch, Commander of the Task Force Group of the German Navy, said he was very impressed with the spirit of the Indian sailors.
"We had some good exercises, first at the Eastern Naval command and then over the last few days at the western coast. The exercises were executed in a very professional manner. I am very impressed with the spirit of the Indian sailors and their professional knowledge," Risch, who was on board frigate FGS Baden-Wurttemberg in Vasco in Goa, said.
He said the aim was to establish friendship and partnership between the two nations and its navies.
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As part of the Indo-Pacific deployment, the German Navy had partnering exercises with several countries in the Americas and Asia, he observed and added that the German Navy is in India because the latter is one of the biggest democracies in the world and a good partner in the region.
Both the countries have a common aim of making the world a safer place, the German rear admiral said, adding that India and Germany will become even more important partners in the region because they are committed to the same values.