(VOVWORLD) - The Indian Navy on Thursday joined eight other Indo-Pacific countries in the multinational naval exercise La Perouse 25. The exercise will be held until next Friday in the Malacca, Sunda and Lombok Straits, which are important sea lanes connecting the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
The Indian Navy’s destroyer INS Mumbai will join forces from Australia, Canada, the US, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UK, and Singapore in the exercise.
The forces will coordinate in maritime security operations, including searching for and intercepting vessels suspected of illegal activities. France, with its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, will lead the exercise.
The drill aims to improve maritime safety, and enhance interoperability and cooperation among participating countries when responding to maritime crises.