Visit Of Indian Warships to Male, Maldives Indian Naval ships Vikramaditya, Mysore and Deepak are scheduled to visit Male from 15 18 Feb 16 after participating in the International Fleet Review. The ships are part of the Indian Navys Western Fleet based at Mumbai. INS Vikramaditya, one of the two aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy, is a state-of-the-art ship, capable of operating a versatile range of high-performance aircraft, such as the MiG 29K fighters, KM 31 AEW helicopters, multi-role Seakings and utility Chetaks. The ship is over 285 meters long and 60 meters wide. Her 23 decks scale a height of 60 meters. She is accompanied by indigenously constructed INS Mysore, a frontline missile destroyer and INS Deepak, the Fleet Tanker. During the visit, the warships will have professional interactions with the MNDF for further enhancing the close co-operation between the two forces. In addition, a number of sports and social engagements, aimed at strengthening ties and mutual understanding between the two Navies, are also planned. The Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Rear Admiral Ravneet Singh, NM, is flying his flag onboard the Vikramaditya. INS Vikramaditya is commanded by Captain Krishna Swaminathan, INS Mysore is commanded by Capt M Paul Samuel and INS Deepak is commanded by Capt Sujit Kumar Chhetri. India and Maldives are close maritime neighbours with strong and extremely cordial defence and diplomatic relations. The Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, in conjunction with MNDF, regularly undertake surveillance in the Maldivian EEZ. The current visit highlights the importance accorded by India to bilateral relations with Maldives and seeks to strengthen the existing bonds between the two countries. DKS/CKP
