India Germany conducts joint naval exercise in Gulf of Aden
On 26 August 2021, the navies of India and Germany conducted a joint exercise in The Gulf of Aden. The joint exercise included search and seizure operations along with helicopter landings. Indian Navy's frigate "Trikand" conducted an exercise with a German frigate named "Brian".
INS Trikand has been deployed for anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden. The exercise between the two navies in the Indian Ocean phase of Indo-Pacific Deployment - 2121 enhanced interoperability and facilitated the exchange of best practices between them in the maritime domain.
India Germany Defense Relations
The navies of India and Germany conducted joint exercises for the first time in 2008 when the two countries signed an anti-piracy cooperation agreement in 2006.
The Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, which is the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia. The 'Gulf of Aden' connects the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea through the 'Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the west. In recent days, there has been a significant increase in the activities of pirates in the Gulf, due to which it has also come to be known as the 'Pirate Route'.
Only 20 km wide 'Bab El Mandeb' Strait connects the 'Red Sea' and 'Gulf of Aden'. This waterway is an important part of the Suez Canal route, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Arabian Sea, crossing the 'Gulf of Aden' approximately 21,000 days per year.