TROPEX-23: Navy Tests War Preparedness With 70 Ships, Six Submarines And Weapons Firing Drills In Four-Month-Long Exercise

The Indian Navy has concluded a four-month-long training exercise TROPEX-23, or “Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise”, reported Business Standard.

According to the report, the exercise was conducted in the Indian Ocean Region, in the Arabian Sea, and in the Bay of Bengal from November 2022 to March 2023.

About 70 Indian Navy ships and six submarines, along with over 75 aircraft, participated in the exercise.

The TROPEX exercise is conducted by the Navy every two years to test the preparedness of the Navy in case of war, where one year the western fleet sails to the eastern coast (Bay of Bengal) while the next year the eastern fleet sails to the western coast (Arabian Sea).

While navigating from one coast to another, the crew conducts firing trials to verify whether all systems are working perfectly or not.

The firing trials also familiarise the crew with the operation of the weapons.

Various types of weapons including Surface to Air Missiles, Torpedoes, Anti-Ship missiles, and depth charges are tested from the ships, the report says.

One part of the fleet becomes the Red Force — the attacking force — and the other part of the fleet becomes the Blue Force (defending force), the Business Standard adds.

The report further says that various other exercises with sister services like the Army, and Coast Guard are conducted as well.

An Amphibious exercise AMPHEX is conducted with the army, while an exercise — Exercise Sea Vigil — is conducted with the Coast Guard.

The Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh took part (6 March) in the final phase of the exercise aboard INS Vikrant as part of the Naval Senior Commanders Conference.

Singh said that, “The country relies on the Navy to ensure that the economic lifelines and military capabilities of our adversaries are disrupted to the extent where their war fighting endeavours can no longer be sustained.”

Singh also praised the Navy for its commitment to Make-In-India and being at the forefront of indigenisation in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign.