Context: India and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) held a joint major naval exercise in the Indian Ocean in the first week of June 2025. This exercise was undertaken to boost maritime security cooperation between the two forces.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: India-EU Naval Exercise Mains: India-EU Relations: India-EU Security Cooperation
India-EU Naval Exercise:
- The exercise involved forces from the EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA and the Indian Navy.
- Focus: To improve interoperability between the naval forces and advance counter-piracy tactics.
- EU and Indian naval ships and air assets (such as maritime patrol aircraft and a helicopter) cooperated on monitoring the situation, gathering intelligence, and planning hostage rescue.
- Indian ship included- Indian frigate TRIKAND supported by the respective air assets; Indian Maritime Patrol aircraft.
Significance:
- The boosting of Indian-EU cooperation is necessary for a secure, free and open Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific. The Indian Ocean is a vital maritime corridor for global trade and security. India-EU share commitment to tackle various threats in the region, including piracy, arms smuggling and illegal fishing.
India-EU Security Cooperation:
- India-EU held a fourth Maritime Security Dialogue in March 2025. It emphasised the need for cooperation to counter illicit maritime activities and explore new joint maritime initiatives aligned with the objectives of the joint exercise.
- India-EU have previously conducted passing exercises (PASSEX) to ensure that navies are able to communicate and cooperate in times of crisis at sea.
- India-EU naval cooperation has expanded beyond the Indian Ocean. Joint exercises have taken place in the Gulf of Guinea and Gulf of Aden. The Indian Navy also supports escort missions for World Food Programme vessels coordinated by EUNAVFOR ATALANTA.