Indian Navy’s Theatre Level Exercise TROPEX 17

The Indian Navy’s annual Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX) began on 24 January 2017 off the Western Seaboard. The exercise will be held till the fourth week of February 2017.

The last edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2015.

Highlights of TROPEX 17

• Ships and aircraft of both the Western and Eastern Naval Commands are participating the exercise.

• The exercise is aimed at testing the combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Indian Navy and the assets of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard.

• It will also strengthen inter-operability and joint operations in a complex environment.

• The aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, nuclear submarine Chakra, Landing Platform Dock (LPD) Jalashwa, the recently commissioned destroyer Chennai, the P-8I will participate in the exercise.

• SU-30 MKI, Jaguars, AWACS and IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft of the Indian Air Force and infantry units of the Indian Army will also participate in the exercise.

• The exercise will be conducted in various phases, both in harbour and at sea encompassing the various facets of war-fighting and combat operations.

• TROPEX 17 assumes special significance in the backdrop of the current security scenario.

• The exercise will also send a strong signal to the pirates who are active in the Arabian Sea region.