Indonesian Navy assets conducted Passing Exercises (PASSEX) both with PLA Navy’s and Indian Navy’s assets on Saturday (May 8). While Indonesia’s KRI Usman Harun frigate and KRI Halasan missile craft exercised with China’s Liuzhou and Suqian guided-missile frigates, KRI Sultan Hasanudin conducted an exercise with Indian Navy’s OPV INS Sharda on the same day.
Indonesian Navy-PLA Navy Exercise
China and Indonesia conducted joint naval exercises in waters off Jakarta, Beijing said on Sunday, as the two countries work to improve trust and cooperation amid tensions in the South China Sea.
The drills, which took place on Saturday morning, were part of the PLA Navy’s annual training programme, the defence ministry said.
China’s Liuzhou and Suqian guided-missile frigates joined Indonesia’s KRI Usman Harun frigate and KRI Halasan missile craft in the exercises, which included communication drills, search and rescue operations and formation manoeuvres, it said.
The exercises came just a week after Beijing announced it was sending three rescue ships, including one with a manned submersible capable of descending to 10,000 metres (33,000 feet), to help recover the Indonesian submarine that sank late last month with the loss of all 53 crew members.
It was the first time China had joined an international submarine recovery mission. Observers said the operation would provide the PLA with valuable experience, though China’s involvement was greeted with some suspicion in Indonesia and the West regarding its true intentions.
Indonesian-Indian Navy PASSEX
The navies of India and Indonesia on Saturday carried out a military drill in the Southern Arabian Sea with a focus on further improving their interoperability, Indian Navy announced.
The Indian Navy was represented at the ‘Passage’ exercise by INS Sharda, an offshore patrol vessel (OPV), and the Indonesian Navy was represented by KRI Sultan Hasanudin, a corvette, they said.
“The exercise was aimed at improving interoperability and understanding between both the friendly navies,” said an Indian Navy official.
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