IN–EUNAVFOR Joint Naval Exercise

• 19 Jun 2021

For the first time, the Indian Navy participated in joint drills with the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) from 18 June 2021 to 19 June 2021, comprising warships from the French, Spanish and Italian navies in the Gulf of Aden.

• The Indian Naval Ship Trikand, a mission deployed for anti-piracy operations, participated in the IN- EUNAVFOR joint naval exercise.
• EUNAVFOR and the Indian Navy converge on multiple issues including counter piracy operations and protection of vessels deployed under the charter of World Food Programme (UN WFP).
• Indian Navy and EUNAVFOR also have regular interaction through SHADE (Shared Awareness and De-confliction) meetings held annually at Bahrain.

About Gulf of Aden

• The Gulf of Aden is located in the Middle East with Yemen to the north, Somalia to the south and the Arabian Sea to the east. It is connected to the Red Sea by the Bab el Mandab strait.
• Somali pirates operate in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes connecting Europe to Asia and the Middle East.