The Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy has dispatched the diesel-electric submarine Ufa on a business visit to Kochi, India. The submarine reached Kochi together with the rescue tug Alatau. Russian vessels were accorded a warm welcome by the Indian Navy showcasing the healthy maritime cooperation between the two countries.
A post on X by PRO Defence Kochi reported the news: “Russian submarine #Ufa docks at #Kochi, met with a warm welcome by the #IndianNavy.” Further, the post enthused that the friendship between India and Russia would last long. And that the maritime cooperation between the two strategic partners would continue to grow.
A visit was confirmed on the official website of the Russian embassy in India. It said a detachment of ships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet, comprising the Ufa submarine and the Alatau tug, arrived at Kochi on October 21 for a business call. It said during the visit, there would be meetings with representatives from the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command. And sports competitions, apart from replenishment of supplies.
India and Russia have a long history of defense cooperation based on the IRIGC-M&MTC (Inter-Governmental Russian-Indian Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation) mechanism. Headed by the Defense Ministers of the two countries. The 20th IRIGC-M&MTC meeting will take place in December 2021.
The relations between them vary from joint design and development to licensed production, from upgradation to direct import. The two countries regularly engage in bilateral and multilateral military exercises. India and Russia conducted the bilateral exercise INDRA for the last time in 2021. They also participated in various multilateral drills, including the Vostok 2022 Exercise, held in Russia in September 2022.
The list of India-Russia bilateral defense projects includes the supply of S-400 missile systems, licensed production of T-90 tanks, Su-30 MKI aircraft, MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, and the INS Vikramaditya, formerly Admiral Gorshkov. They are also working on the production of Ak-203 rifles in India, and BrahMos missiles. Gradually, military-technical cooperation between India and Russia has developed from a buyer-seller relationship to one based on joint research, and co-development. And production of state-of-the-art defense technologies and systems.
The Ufa submarine’s arrival underlines the continuing and growing defense ties between India and Russia. As part of the shared determination to develop military cooperation in the region.
ANI
