Mauritius and 8 Other Nations Participate in India-Led Naval Exercises 

Mauritius has just participated in the inaugural Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (Aikeyme) exercise,  off the coast of Tanzania.

The six-day naval exercises were co-hosted by Tanzania and include eight other countries which have coastlines on the Indian Ocean, including Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, and South Africa. The exercises focussed on counter-piracy operations as India seeks to position itself as the security partner of choice in the region.

This year’s inaugural exercise took place amid a complex geopolitical landscape, including China’s growing economic, military, and political influence in Africa, coupled with a resurgence of piracy off the Horn of Africa.

To bolster maritime security in the western Indian Ocean, including the Gulf of Aden and the Mozambique Channel, India has established monitoring stations in northern Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

The exercise officially commenced on April 13 in Dar-es-Salaam, with the sea phase beginning on Wednesday, April 16. 

Mauritius crew

The Indian Navy’s participation in the exercise was represented by two key vessels: the Kolkata-class stealth guided missile destroyer INS Chennai and the Shardul-class tank landing ship INS Kesari. Additionally, the Indian Ocean Ship Sagar was present for the inaugural ceremony.

As part of the IOS Sagar initiative, the Saryu-class patrol vessel INS Sunayna was deployed to the Southwest Indian Ocean Region from April 5 to May 8. INS Sunayna carries a combined crew of Indian and foreign personnel from Mauritius, Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.

The sea phase, which began on April 16, focused on a range of operations, including seamanship evolutions, search and rescue missions, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) procedures, small arms firing, and helicopter operations.

Approximately 10 ships participated in the drills, supported by an Indian Navy P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft.

Source: Military Africa