The detachment, including the Varyag missile cruiser, Admiral Pateleyev destroyer and Boris Butoma tanker, entered the eastern Indian port city of Visakhapatnam. But despite concerns an increase in global tensions between a number of countries could lead to another war, the Russian Pacific Fleet insisted the exercise is taking place purely to strengthen military ties between the two countries. The exercises will primarily look to ensure safety of navigation and economic services at sea.
Its press service said in a statement: “Today (December 9), a detachment of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet entered the Indian port of Vishakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
“In order to further strengthen military cooperation between the Russian Navy and the Indian Navy, the planned joint Russian-Indian naval exercise Indra Navy 2018 will be held during the visit.”
The press service added the detachment command will visit local military and civilian authorities later today.
The military drills are due to last for a week, leaving Visakhapatnam next Sunday (December 16).
This is the latest instalment of the combat exercises, after servicemen from Russia’s Estern Military District travelled to the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh to take part in the Indra-2018 military drills.
These also lasted for a week, and saw 500 Russian and Indian troops take part, with military vehicles for the exercises provided by India.
At the time, Russian Pacific Fleet spokesperson Nikolai Voskresensky said: “Il-76 military transport aircraft have landed at the Indian military air base of Gwalior.
“Then, Russian troops were taken by land transport to the Babin training ground in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northwest India, where a solemn meeting of the participants of the exercises was held in accordance with the national traditions of India.”
Last week, it was revealed Russia had deployed a new futuristic laser weapon into service after Vladimir Putin warned Donald Trump an arms race would ensue if he scraps their nuclear weapons treaty.
The Peresvet laser complex was put on experimental combat on Saturday, according to the official newspaper of the Russian Defence Ministry, Krasnaya Zvezda.
Soldiers were trained on how to use the weapons at AF Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy in St Petersburg and the equipment delivered to units last year.
Moscow claims the Peresvet is a state-of-the-art weapon capable of disabling targets in under a second.
The laser was first revealed by Putin during his State of the Nation speech in March.
The Russian President was relatively vague about it though, telling the country’s parliament they had “achieved significant progress in laser weapons” which were “not just a concept or a plan anymore”
He sent a chilling warning in Parliament when he said: “Since last year, out troops have been armed with laser weapons. I do not want to reveal more details. It is not the time yet.
“But experts will understand that with such weaponry, Russia’s defence capacity has multiplied.”
Fears of another nuclear arms race have been sparked after the Trump administration threatened to leave a key nuclear treaty with Russia.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that the US would no longer abide by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty if Russia did not comply within 60 days.
Putin fired back that in the event of a US withdrawal from the treaty, Moscow would start to develop new mid-range nuclear weapons.
He said he was “against the destruction of this treaty”, although he agreed with Trump that it ties the hands of the two nations whilst other countries can develop weapons unhindered.