High-level delegation from Oman visits Southern Naval Command, Kochi

In a further strengthening of the growing defence cooperation between India and the Sultanate of Oman, a high-level delegation from the sultanate visited the headquarters of the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command in Kochi.

The Oman delegation on the deck of INS Vikrant at the Cochin Shipyard on February 4.

In a further strengthening of the growing defence cooperation between India and the Sultanate of Oman, a high-level delegation from the sultanate visited the headquarters of the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command in Kochi.

Led by Dr Mohammed Bin Nasser Bin Ali Al-Zaabi, Secretary General, Ministry of Defence, Sultanate of Oman, the eight-member delegation’s two-day visit concluded on February 4. During its visit, the delegation interacted with Vice Admiral M.A. Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, and held discussions on various defence cooperation issues.

The Omani delegation also visited Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant and several of the Navy’s top-notch professional training schools, including the Navigational and Direction School and the Diving School. The delegation also interacted with the Staff Officers of Southern Naval Command on various professional subjects.

Prior to arriving in Kochi, the delegation had visited New Delhi between January 31 and February 2, attending the 11th meeting of the India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC), aimed at enhancing the defence cooperation between the two countries.

Oman and India have scaled up their cooperation in the maritime sphere over the past few decades. Last September, the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the exchange of white shipping information.

The MoU seeks to facilitate information exchange on merchant shipping traffic through the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, the dedicated centre in Gurugram for undertaking the collation, fusion, and dissemination of data with partner countries, and the Muscat-headquartered Maritime Security Centre (MSC). According to sources in the Navy, the MoU has already begun to substantially contribute to enhanced maritime safety and security, mutual collaboration, exchange of information and understanding the concerns and threats which are prevalent in the entire region.

The Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Navy of Oman on several fronts, including operational interactions, training cooperation and exchange of subject matter experts in various fields. Since 1993, both the navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise “Naseem Al Bahr”. The maritime exercise, which was last conducted off the Goa coast in 2020, is scheduled to take place again in 2022.

Said a spokesperson for the Indian Navy: “The navies of India and Oman are not only consolidating the growing bilateral maritime and defence relations, but are also exploring new avenues for defence cooperation.”