Indo-US Joint Naval Exercise Begins in Vizag
INS Jalashwa hosts the opening of the 4th edition of the joint HADR exercise, marking a new era with space tech collaboration.
Visakhapatnam: The opening ceremony of Tiger Triumph 2025, the 4th edition of the bilateral joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise between India and the US, began onboard the Indian Navy’s INS Jalashwa on Tuesday.
“This exercise, uniting our navies, marine corps, armies and air forces, is not just a military collaboration. It’s a beacon of hope, a symbol of resilience and a celebration of the shared values that define us as strong democratic, secular, pluralistic societies,’’ said Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, chief of staff of the Eastern Naval Command.
Announcing the launch of the event, the vice admiral said Tiger Triumph was about “turning shared resources into shared triumphs.” Since its inception in 2019, it has grown in scale and complexity, reflecting the deepening trust between the two nations and their armed forces.
“This exercise is a great example of how our great nations can partner together in times of humanitarian need to provide lifesaving support. Every year, this exercise builds on the previous exercise and breaks new ground,’’ said US Charge d’Affaires Jorgan Andrews at the opening ceremony.
A new addition to Tiger Triumph 2025 is the integration of a space element, with U.S. Space Force representatives collaborating with Indian counterparts to incorporate satellite technology for enhanced operational awareness in planning and execution. This exchange will support the U.S.-India Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA), announced in February [YEAR] by [U.S. President] and Prime Minister Modi, laying the groundwork for greater integration of autonomous systems into future U.S.-India exercises.
The exercise reflects the deepening convergence of US-India strategic maritime interests and the countries’ defense partnership. The present edition is aimed at further enhancement of interoperability and combined joint all-domain operations during large-scale HADR operations. The harbour phase of the exercise is being conducted at Visakhapatnam from April 1 to April 7 and involves a planning process for the execution of various training events at sea, as well as further refinement of procedures established in previous iterations of Tiger Triumph.
In addition, the harbour phase would include training and subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) events on a range of professional subjects, such as special operations, emergency medical response procedures and operations across the air, maritime, cyber and space domains.
During the sea phase from April 8-12, the bilateral forces would work together to train personnel for maritime, amphibious and HADR operations. This phase would conclude following an amphibious landing at Kakinada on April 11.
Participant units from the Indian Navy include landing platform dock INS Jalashwa, INS Mumbai, INS Gharial, INS Shakti and PBI, the long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. All the three services including cyber and space specialists would also participate in the exercise.
The participant US task force comprises USS Comstock, USS Ralph Johnson and a Navy P8A Poseidon aircraft.
