The Indian Navy warship Teg and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force destroyer Ikazuchi from Combined Task Force 151 conducted a PASSEX (Passing Exercise) together in the Gulf of Aden today.

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INS TEG (R) conducting a PASSEX with JSDF Ikazuchi. Photo – JMSDF

At 3.2 million square miles, the Indian Ocean is too big for any single nation to police by itself. Exercises such as PASSEX prove that ships from different countries and organisations can communicate effectively, share intelligence and are able to maneuver at close quarters safely and quickly. Warships that have exercised together are better able to respond to events such as humanitarian crises or piracy attacks as they can co-ordinate a plan and a response quickly.

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JSDF Ikazuchi (front) conducting a PASSEX with independent deployer INS Teg – Photo by JMSDF

A CTF151 spokesperson said: “Today’s PASSEX provided the two warships an excellent opportunity to enhance their interoperability and strengthen the mutual understanding of how the ships’ capabilities and procedures complement each other.”