The Indian Navy and the United States Navy have begun a five-day Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercise at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, strengthening cooperation in specialised maritime operations.

The exercise, scheduled from August 10 to 14, brings together specialist diving and EOD teams from the two navies.

Training for Maritime Emergencies

The programme includes exchanges between subject specialists, equipment demonstrations, cross-training and practical exercises based on simulated operational situations.

Personnel will share current methods for detecting, identifying and safely handling explosive threats in maritime environments. The exercise will also provide an opportunity to examine emerging technologies and operational practices used by both navies.

Eighth Edition of Bilateral Exercise

This is the eighth edition of the bilateral EOD exercise. India and the United States have conducted joint salvage and explosive-ordnance-disposal engagements since 2005.

The Defence Ministry said the exercise is intended to improve interoperability and enhance the ability of the two navies to work together during specialised maritime operations.

The programme comes amid expanding India-US defence engagement in the Indo-Pacific, including naval exercises, technology cooperation and maritime-domain awareness.