Indian Navy Fires Missile as Part of Military Drill in Bay of Bengal

PTI, Oct 30, 2020, 6:29 PM IST

New Delhi: The Indian Navy on Friday successfully test fired an anti-ship missile from its guided missile corvette INS Kora in the Bay of Bengal as part of a drill that reflected its combat readiness in the strategic sea lanes around India, officials said. The Navy said the missile hit the target at maximum range with precise accuracy.

“Anti-ship missile fired by Indian Navy’s Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora hits the target at max range with precise accuracy in Bay of Bengal. Target ship severely damaged and in flames,” the Navy tweeted. Last week, the Navy released a video of an anti-ship missile destroying a sinking ship with “deadly accuracy” somewhere in the Arabian Sea.

The missile was fired by frontline corvette INS Prabal as part of a mega drill involving aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and a number of warships, attack helicopters, aircraft and other assets of the Navy. The Indian Navy has significantly increased its deployment in the Indian Ocean Region in an attempt to send across a message to China in the wake of escalation in tension between the two countries over the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian Navy has participated in a number of joint maritime exercises in the last few weeks, including a three-day drill with Japanese navy from September 26-28. Last month, Indian Navy also carried out a two-day mega exercise in the Indian Ocean Region with the Australian Navy that featured a range of complex naval manoeuvres, anti-aircraft drills and helicopter operations.

In July, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a US Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The USS Nimitz is the world’s largest warship.