Indian Navy warship reaches US for RIMPAC exercise

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) INS Sahyadri, an indigenously-built guided missile stealth frigate, Tuesday reached the Pearl Harbour naval base in US for Indian Navy's first participation in RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), regarded as the world's largest multilateral maritime exercise.

"This is the first ever participation of an Indian Naval ship in exercise RIMPAC," a release by Indian Navy said.

RIMPAC, which began Tuesday, will end Aug 2.

During its stay in Pearl Harbour naval base in Hawaii, INS Sahyadri's crew will participate in harbour exercises, professional interactions, military symposiums, sports events and social fixtures, the release said.

During the sea-going phase of the exercise, the ship will participate in various exercises with navies from different countries, covering the entire gamut of maritime operations including anti-surface, anti-submarine, anti-air and carrier strike group operations.

"INS Sahyadri's participation in RIMPAC will serve to reinforce naval ties with US and other participating countries, as well as contribute immensely towards enhancing interoperability with friendly navies," it said.

The multi-role stealth frigate carries an array of weaponry including long range anti-ship missiles, medium and short range surface-to-air missiles augmented by powerful guns of different calibers.

"Two integral multi-role helicopters carried by the ship act as force multipliers in all maritime scenarios due to their versatility and long range," the release said.

The warship made a three-day stopover in Darwin, Australia before reaching Pearl Harbour.