Category
Latest news

Russian and Indian Navies Wrap Up INDRA Drills With Live-Fire and Drone Defense Ops

2 min read
Authors
Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
Author
Russian and Indian Navies Wrap Up INDRA Drills With Live-Fire and Drone Defense Ops
Russian and Indian servicemen sit in front of the INS large anti-submarine warfare ship Rana before the kick-off of the drills, March 2025. (Source: indiannavy/X)

Russian and Indian naval forces have concluded their joint maritime exercises, INDRA, in the Bay of Bengal, Turkish media outlet Anadolu reported on April 4.

Following three days of operations at sea, participating warships returned to the Indian port of Chennai for a debriefing and an official closing ceremony.

From the Russian side, the drills involved the Pacific Fleet’s corvettes Rezky and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, along with the medium sea tanker Pechenga. The Indian Navy deployed the large anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship Rana and the corvette Kuthar.

Russian and Indian ships during the drills, April 2025. (Source: indiannavy/X)
Russian and Indian ships during the drills, April 2025. (Source: indiannavy/X)

During the exercises, crews practiced coordinated tactical maneuvers, conducted live-fire drills against sea and air targets, and improved their skills in countering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) representing a notional adversary.

Naval helicopters also took part in the drills. A Russian Ka-27M helicopter landed on the deck of India’s Rana, while an Indian Chetak helicopter made a landing on a Russian corvette—underscoring interoperability efforts between the two fleets.

The INDRA drills consist of both at-sea and onshore components. While ashore, ship commanders conduct planning conferences to coordinate joint actions, and sailors participate in mutual ship visits and sporting events to build camaraderie.

Russian corvette Aldar Tsydenzhapov in the Indian naval base in late March 2025. (Source: indiannavy/X)
Russian corvette Aldar Tsydenzhapov in the Indian naval base in late March 2025. (Source: indiannavy/X)

According to the Indian Navy, the INDRA series—launched in 2003—is aimed at strengthening long-term strategic naval cooperation between Russia and India.

Earlier, reports emerged that Russia, Iran, and China were set to conduct joint naval exercises off Iran’s southern coast, aiming to strengthen military cooperation.

They were set to begin on March 11 in the port of Chabahar, located in Iran’s Oman Gulf region, though the duration of the exercises remains unclear.

The training involved warships, combat vessels, and support ships from the Chinese and Russian navies, along with Iran’s regular naval forces and the Revolutionary Guard’s fleet.

See all