Indian naval ships visit Sihanoukville, Cambodia to strengthen ties with ASEAN

Indian Naval Ships Delhi and Satpura are making a port call to Sihanoukville, Cambodia from May 11-14, 2023 as part of the Indian Navy's deployment to ASEAN nations. The ships are commanded by Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh.

India and the Kingdom of Cambodia have friendly relations, as evidenced by the port call. This visit, scheduled from May 11-14 2023, symbolizes the warm and cordial relations shared between India and the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday (May 13, 2023).

During the visit, personnel from the two fleets will actively engage in a wide range of professional interactions, including deck visits and sporting exchanges. These endeavors are geared towards fostering interoperability and strengthening mutual understanding between the two maritime forces.

INS Delhi is India’s first indigenously built guided missile Destroyer and INS Satpura is an indigenouS multi purpose stealth Frigate. The two ships are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors and can carry multi-role helicopters. Both ships are a testimony of India’s advanced ship design and shipbuilding capabilities, the Ministry of Defence pointed out.

"The visit of the Indian Naval ships seeks to consolidate the strong bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries, by strengthening maritime cooperation" the ministry added.

Earlier, INS Delhi and INS Satpura, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and integral helicopters had exercised with naval ships from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam during the inaugural ASEAN India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2023).

The Harbour Phase of the exercise was held at Changi Naval Base, Singapore from May 2-4 2023 while the Sea Phase was conducted in the South China Sea in May 7-8, 2023.