Against the backdrop of escalating tensions between China and the Philippines, three Indian warships have arrived in Manila as part of their ongoing long-range deployment to the South China Sea, aimed at bolstering maritime partnerships with allied nations.

Under the leadership of Eastern Fleet chief Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, the guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi, fleet tanker INS Shakti, and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan have docked in Manila following similar goodwill visits to Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam in the region.

The visit follows India's recent commencement of deliveries of three anti-ship coastal batteries of the 290-km BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines last month, pursuant to a $375 million contract signed in January 2022. New Delhi anticipates that this deal will open avenues for further agreements with ASEAN countries.

Rear Admiral Dhankhar remarked, "India and the Philippines have shared interests, particularly in upholding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The two navies have cultivated strong bonds of friendship and have consistently engaged in maritime partnership exercises whenever possible."

During the visit, personnel from the two navies will participate in an exercise and conduct various professional interactions, including subject matter expert exchanges, cross-deck visits, cultural visits, and collaborative community outreach programmes. "We are visiting friendly foreign countries to share our experiences and best practices with their navies," stated Rear Admiral Dhankhar.

The deployment to the South China Sea, where China is embroiled in territorial disputes with neighbouring countries, coincides with the Indian Navy's close monitoring of the expanding operations of Chinese satellite and missile tracking ships in the Indian Ocean Region. These dual-use vessels gather oceanographic and other data essential for the navigation and submarine operations of the Chinese Navy.

India has been steadily enhancing defence ties with ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines through regular joint exercises, military exchanges, and training programmes.

In line with this effort, the inaugural ASEAN-India maritime exercise (AIME) took place in May last year. Warships from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam conducted joint drills in the South China Sea.

Image source: ANI