Where was the Indian Navy's missile destroyer, INS Ranjit decommissioned recently?

Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, presided over the day long review session of largest War Game of the Indian Navy - the Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 19) intended to examine the conduct of the exercise and to assess the operational preparedness of the Indian Navy. TROPEX 19 had commenced with Tri-services Amphibious Exercise in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands with participation of Army and Air Force and about 60 ships of the Indian Navy, 12 ships of the Indian Coast Guard and 60 aircraft were part of the exercise. It was the largest in terms of geographical spread covering the IOR and also with regard to the number of participating units.

Indian Air Force conducted mega exercise 'Vayu Shakti' in Pokhran, Rajasthan. The exercise was carried out day and night where the IAF showcased firepower capability of indigenously developed platforms and efficacy of missiles. For the first time, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALP) and the Akash surface-to-air missile were deployed in the military exercise. MiG-29 fighter jet also participated in the exercise. The capability of Griffin Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) a laser-guided bomb system was also showcased in the exercise. The honorary group captain of the IAF, Sachin Tendulkar was present during the exercise.

Light combat helicopter (LCH),has successfully carried out air-to-air missile firing on a moving aerial target at the integrated test range in Chandipur on Odisha coast.This LCH is first in the country,which is designed and developed by Rotary Wing Research & Design Centre (RWRDC),Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The helicopter is equipped with helmet mounted sight and a forward looking infrared sighting system, allowing its pilots to detect and destroy any target on ground or in the air. Other weapons on the LCH include a 20mm Turret gun and 70 mm Rockets,that had completed the test last year.

INS Trikand, the frontline warship of the Indian Navy, participated in a multi-national training exercise 'CUTCLASS EXPRESS 2019'. The annual Exercise Cutlass Express is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and conducted by Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF). It is the eighth iteration of the annual multinational maritime exercise and was held in the vicinity of Djibouti, Mozambique and Seychelles. The aim of the exercise was to improve law enforcement capacity, promote regional security and progress inter-operability between the armed forces of the participating nations for the purpose of prohibiting illegal maritime activity in the Western Indian Ocean.

The Defence Acquisitions Council, DAC chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved indigenous construction of six submarines worth 40 thousand crore rupees. It is the second project under the Ministry's ambitious strategic partnership model aiming to boost the government's Make in India' program. The first project to get the government's nod for implementation under the new model was the acquisition of 111 utility helicopters for the Navy at a cost of over 21 thousand crore rupees in August last year. DAC has also approved the acquisition of about five thousand MILAN Anti Tank Guided Missiles for the Army.

The Navy will inaugurate the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Through this Centre, information on 'white shipping', or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean. The IFC has been established at the Navy's Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram, Haryana.

Afghanistan formally launched shipping goods to India through the Chabahar port in Iran. The first shipment of 570 tonnes comprising of dried fruits, textiles, carpets, and other goods in 23 trucks was inaugurated by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. With the opening of the Chabahar route, Afghanistan's exports will double to $2 billion from the current $1 billion over the next one year. About Chabahar Port: Chabahar Port development is the India-Iran joint venture project. Inaugurated in 2017 and been built largely by India. This port provides a critical transport link from New Delhi to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan, to trade with Central Asia.

The Defence Ministry has awarded a contract of worth Rs.6,311 crore to Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) to build eight anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft (ASWSWC) for the Indian Navy. As per the agreement, the first ship is to be delivered within 42 months from the date of signing of the contract and subsequently, two ships are required to be delivered per year. The eight vessels are to be delivered between 2022 and 2027. The vessels are equipped with highly advanced state-of-the-art integrated platform management systems including propulsion machinery, auxiliary machinery, power generation, and distribution machinery and damage control machinery, etc.

The fourth of Indian Navy's stealth Scorpene class Submarines of Project 75, INS Vela was launched at the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited at Mumbai in Maharashtra. The submarine has been named 'Vela' after an earlier submarine, which was the lead submarine, of the erstwhile Vela class, the second batch of the Foxtrot class submarines acquired from erstwhile USSR.

The sea phase of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (MS FTX) in the South China Sea concluded on 13 May 2019 at RSS Singapura, also known as Changi Naval Base in Singapore. The ADMM-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise was held from 30 April to 13 May. The exercise commenced on 30 April in Busan, South Korea and concluded in Singapore. It was co-organized by Singapore and South Korea as both nations currently hold co-chairmanship of ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security. This is the fourth Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (MS FTX) was conducted under the ambit of the ADMM-Plus.