INS Sahyadri.Indian Navy’s Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate INS Sahyadri has entered the Darwin port in Australia, on Wednesday, to participate in Exercise KAKADU 2018. Incidentally, INS Sahyadri was deployed to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean for over four months. The warship also represented the Indian Navy in multinational exercises Malabar 2018 at Guam, in June, and RIMPAC 2018 at Hawaii, in August. Participation in KAKADU 2018 is a significant milestone in the Navy’s efforts towards strengthening mutual confidence among regional navies and is expected to further bolster India’s contribution in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Exercise KAKADU started in 1993. The multilateral regional maritime engagement is hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). “The exercise is held biennially in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise Areas (NAXA),” a Navy spokesman said. Interestingly, Exercise KAKADU derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a protected area in Australia’s Northern Territory, which is 171km southeast of Darwin. KAKADU 2018, the 14th edition of the exercise, is scheduled from August 29 to September 15 and would see participation from 23 warships, one submarine, 45 aircraft, 250 marines and approximately 52 foreign staff from over 25 different countries. “Indian Navy’s participation in KAKADU 18 provides an excellent opportunity to engage with regional partners and undertake multinational maritime activities – ranging from constabulary operations to high-end maritime warfare – in a combined environment, which is aimed at enhancing interoperability and development of common understanding of procedures for maritime operations. During the exercise, professional exchanges in harbour and diverse range of activities at sea, including complex surface, subsurface and air operations would enable sharing of best practices and honing of operational skills,” the Navy official said.
