Navy started largest combat exercise; surveillance to be done with dedicated satellite

Indian Navy on 13 February 2014 kicked off its largest exercise with both the western and eastern fleets in the Bay of Bengal for intensive combat maneuvers. This is a month-long exercise of combined fleets was embarked by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral DK Joshi and Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra.

The units participating in the exercise includes nuclear submarine Chakra and aircraft carrier Viraat. During the exercise missile, gun-firings and torpedo will be undertaken and it will also witness the maiden participation of P-8I (intelligent hawk eyes) maritime reconnaissance aircraft, which was acquired recently.

The best part of this a month-long exercise is its surveillance for the first time by a decicated military satellite GSAT-7 or Rukmini launched in August 2013 and have a 2000 nautical mile footprint over the critical Indian Ocean region.  The satellite is capable of surveying and communicate will the network of all Indian warships, submarines and aircrafts.  

This exercise will be concluded across the Indian Ocean Region in a dense maritime environment in the background of two completely networked fleets.