The Hindu : Australian naval ship on `exploratory visit'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Australian naval ship on `exploratory visit'

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

The Australian naval ship, Adelaide, at the Chennai harbour on Monday. — Photo: N. Balaji

CHENNAI June 9. Following in the footsteps of the U.S., an Australian naval vessel docked at the Chennai Port, as part of an "exploratory visit" to further cooperation between the two navies.

The first of the guided-missile frigates of its class built in the late 1970s, HMAS Adelaide will undertake preliminary exercises with the Indian Navy; its personnel would interact with the local community and naval officials during their four-day stay here.

"Adelaide is visiting Chennai for a four-day period, as part of a constructive and growing defence relationship between Australia and India," its Captain, David Johnston, said.

"This is a specific visit. We are not en route to any other destination in the Gulf. We have come directly from Perth and from here we will go back to South East Asia to conduct some exercises. So, this is a very deliberate visit."

The ship's arrival coincides with the visit to India by the Royal Australian Navy's Maritime Commander, Raydon Gates.

Rear Admiral Gates will hold consultations with his counterparts and other naval officers here to further the working level contact between the two navies.

These visits underline the strengthening of the relationship between Australia and India on security issues which has included the establishment of a joint working group on defence cooperation under the second bilateral strategic dialogue held in Canberra in March, according to the Australian High Commission in India.

"We (the Australian Navy) have not been in the Indian mainland for almost 20 years now," Commander Johnston said.

Though both countries "are not quite neighbours we are not far from each other too", said the Commission's First Secretary, Rory Medcalf.

On the map, the Pigmy point on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the farthest point of Australia, the Christmas Islands, were close — "just separated by the length of Sumatra".

The Australian naval visit comes at a time when the Indian Navy is redefining its role in the region, in tune with the demands. The firming up of the Indo-U.S. naval exchanges was closely followed by increased cooperation with trusted ally and long-time friend, the Russian Federation.

The latest round of Indo-Russian naval exercises ended early this month. Also, the Indian Coast Guard and the Japanese Coast Guard have established a `working relationship' with three successive years of elaborate exercises.

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