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Indian Naval Ship Pralaya arrived at Abu Dhabi, UAE today 19 Feb 21 to participate in the NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21, scheduled from 20 to 25 February 2021. Participation of INS Pralaya in NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 Defence Exhibitions, one of the leading international naval and defence exhibitions of the region, is aimed at showcasing the strengths of India’s indigenous shipbuilding, in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’. In addition, the participation of an Indian Navy Ship in NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 also highlights close relations between India and UAE.
INS Pralaya, the second ship of the indigenously built Prabal Class Missile Vessels, was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 18 December 2002. The 56 m long ship, displacing about 560 T is capable of speeds in excess of 35 knots and is fitted with an impressive array of weapons and sensors. These include a 76.2 mm medium range gun, 30 mm close-range guns, chaff launchers and long-range surface to surface missiles. The ship, built indigenously at Goa Shipyard Limited, bears testimony to the capabilities of the Indian shipbuilding industry and is a versatile platform capable of performing a wide variety of surface warfare missions.
Defence relations between India and UAE have been steadily growing since the up-gradation of bilateral relations to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in January 2017 as Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations. Towards enhancing interactions between the two navies, the inaugural edition of Indian Navy – UAE Navy bilateral exercise GULF STAR – 1 was conducted in March 2018. The next edition of the exercise is likely to be conducted in 2021. In addition, Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at UAE for promoting maritime cooperation. INS Mysore, an indigenously built guided-missile destroyer, mission deployed in the region, is also making a port call at Abu Dhabi, UAE from 19 to 22 Feb 21.
Deployment of Indian Navy ships to Abu Dhabi, UAE underscores deep-rooted friendly ties and multi-faceted cooperation between India and UAE, and will further strengthen defence cooperation between the two countries.
Also Read: List of Indian Navy Joint Maritime Exercises from 2018 to 2021
