NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21

In News- Indian Naval Ship Pralaya reached Abu Dhabi to participate in NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 which are scheduled from February 20 to 25.

About

  • NAVDEX-
    • It is a Naval Defence Exhibition(NAVDEX ) that provides a dedicated and focused platform for international naval defence and maritime security companies to showcase their technologies and services to an international audience.
  • IDEX-
    • International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) is the only international defence exhibition and conference in the MENA region demonstrating the latest technology across land, sea and air sectors of defence.
    • It is a unique platform to establish and strengthen relationships with government departments, businesses and armed forces throughout the region.
    • They are one of the world’s most prominent annual naval defence and maritime security exhibitions.

Significance

  • The participation of INS Pralaya in NAVDEX 21 and IDEX 21 highlights the strong bilateral relationship shared by India and the UAE.

INS Pralaya

  • INS Pralaya was commissioned in the Indian Navy on December 18, 2002.
  • It is the second ship of the indigenously built Prabal Class Missile Vessels.
  • The 56-m long ship 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 is a versatile platform capable of performing a wide variety of surface warfare missions
  • The ship was built indigenously at Goa Shipyard Limited.

Defence Ties between India and UAE

  • Bilateral Defence Interaction between India and UAE has been steadily growing in accordance with other aspects of the bilateral relationship.
  • There have been regular high level & functional level exchanges between the two countries.
  • The Navy Ships of both countries have been making regular port calls for enhancing bilateral defence co-operation.
    • In fact, indigenously built guided-missile destroyer INS Mysore will also be making a port call at Abu Dhabi from February 19 to February 21.
  • India and the UAE had in 2017 upgraded bilateral relations to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’.
    • This was done during the visit of Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India as the Republic Day chief guest.
  • Defence ties between the two nations were further strengthened in March 2018 as a result of joint-naval exercise GULF STAR-1.
    • The second edition of this bilateral naval exercise is likely to be conducted later this year.

Source :ANI