INS Tir And Sujata To Participate In 2nd Edition Of 'IMT TRILAT'

New Delhi:  Indian naval ships Tir and Sujata will participate in the second edition of a joint maritime trilateral exercise -- IMT TRILAT -- among navies of India, Mozambique and Tanzania from March 21-29, officials said on Thursday.

The current edition of the exercise is planned in two phases.

Its first edition was conducted in October 2022, and saw participation of INS Tarkash along with Tanzanian and Mozambique navies, the officials said.

"INS Tir and INS Sujata will participate in the forthcoming second edition of India Mozambique Tanzania (IMT) Tri-Lateral (TRILAT) Exercise, a joint maritime exercise scheduled from March 21-29," a senior official of the Indian Navy said.

As part of the harbour phase scheduled from March 21-24, Indian naval ships Tir and Sujata will engage with the respective navies at ports of Zanzibar in Tanzania and Maputo in Mozambique.

"This phase would begin with a planning conference followed by conduct of joint harbour training activities like damage control, fire fighting, visit board search and seizure procedures, medical lectures, casualty evacuation and diving operations," he said.

The sea phase of the exercise is scheduled from March 24-27 covering practical aspects of countering asymmetric threats, 'visit board search and seizure' procedures, boat handling, manoeuvres and firing exercises. A joint EEZ surveillance is also planned during the sea phase, the official said.

The exercise will conclude with a joint debrief scheduled at Nacala in Mozambique.

"During the harbour stay, Indian naval ships would be open for visitors and partake in sports and cultural exchanges with host navies. Training visits for sea trainees of 106 Integrated Officers Training Course are also planned at the respective ports," the official said.