India plans joint defence exercises, similar to the one recently concluded with the United States Air Force, with countries like Britain, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia and Indonesia in the near future, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Disclosing this in a written reply, the defence minister, however, declined to divulge details in this regard and also denied that such peacetime exercises were precursors to wartime joint operations by India.
To another question, he said joint exercises were conducted with various countries from time to time and that decisions in this regard were taken by the government keeping in view national interests.
Besides, Mukherjee said these exercises provide valuable exposure to the armed forces to keep them abreast with the latest development in equipment, technology, warfare tactics, concepts and doctrines relating to military operations, besides testing their military skills in relation to others.
On the Indian Navy's requirement for an aircraft carrier, Mukherjee said that after the decommissioning of the Indian Naval Ship Vikrant in 1997, the government had started the construction of an indigenous aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard Limited at Kochi.
The defence minister said that after Vikrant, INS Viraat was the only aircraft carrier left in the Indian Navy, which is being utilised for designated operational missions, and that it was being adequately maintained to meet all assigned roles.
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