Indian Navy's indigenously built destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam on Sunday (July 30) arrived in Oman's Muscat, to strengthen the maritime cooperation between the Navy and Royal Oman Navy. Both navies intend to work together to address regional security challenges, news agency ANI reported citing Navy officials. The INS Visakhapatnam is an integral part of the Western Naval Command fleet, it said.
INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship and the first of the Indian Navy's Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers. The ship, commissioned on November 21, 2021, is one of the largest destroyers in Indian Navy service.
Earlier in the day, Indian Navy in a tweet shared that its guided-missile destroyer INS Chennai visited Greece's Souda Bay, from July 27 to 29, as part of its deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. The Commanding Officer met with the Base Commander of the Hellenic Navy's Souda Naval Base and paid his respects at the Souda Bay War Cemetery during his visit, the Navy said in a tweet sharing photos.
During their visit to the warship, the ship's crew also had the opportunity to explore the Maritime Museum of Crete, and a team of Hellenic Naval Personnel received an overview of INS Chennai, the Navy said in another tweet. The successful visit strengthens bilateral ties and expands India-Greece maritime cooperation.
On Saturday, India handed over INS Kirpan, an active Indian Navy corvette, to the Vietnam People's Navy (VPN).
This is the first time India has handed over a fully operational corvette to a foreign country, according to the Indian Navy chief. "We are confident that they (the Vietnam People's Navy) will use their enormous potential to protect their national maritime interests, contribute to regional security, and foster peace and stability," said Admiral Hari Kumar, according to a statement issued by the Navy.