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As a big step towards the larger integration of the navies under the ‘South-South Dialogue’, September will see the Navies of India, Brazil, and South Africa taking part in the second edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercises (IBSAMAR) off the coast of South Africa.
As reported by FE in April this year, South Africa had agreed to host , IBSAMAR-II, and the IBSA Trilateral Map Exercise in 2011 (UN Peace Keeping Scenario), as also military adventure sports event.

The three countries during various meetings concluded that it required mutual understanding and cooperation to share the common values on the benefits of cooperation to be enjoyed by the whole maritime community.

Sources in the government have indicated that at a later stage it will be exploring a possible India-France-South Africa (IFSA) multilateral naval cooperation. And this will be discussed when the France President Nicolas Sarkozy visits India later this year. There is a scope to explore the possibility of expanding the Atlasur exercises, involving the Navies of South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay by including India. Ambassador of Brazil in New Delhi, Marco Brandao had told FE earlier that, “ Such exercises give the three countries an opportunity to establish concrete relations.”

Four warships, including a destroyer and two frigates from the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet, would be deployed in the Indian Ocean Region when they would also visit Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa where the biennial IBSAMAR (India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime) exercise will be held, said a senior Navy officer.

According to officials in the Indian Navy, “The significance of such an exercise is the exposure the Navy will get from not only the Indian Ocean Rim Navies but the Brazilian Navy too.”

Indian naval destroyer INS Mysore, frigates INS Tabar and INS Ganga along with tanker INS Aditya would be sailing there when they would also patrol the exclusive economic zones of Mauritius and Seychelles and carry out anti-piracy operations.

Brazil will participate in the IBSAMAR exercise with its warships, while South Africa would bring their submarines.

The Financial Express,
Posted online: 2010-08-16 22:59:37+05:30