Exercise Cutlass Express | UPSC – Why In The News ?
Recently, Indian Naval Ship Talwar participated in a multinational training exercise Cutlass Express 2021, being conducted along the East Coast of Africa.
About Exercise Cutlass Express :
- The exercise is an annual maritime exercise conducted to promote national and regional maritime security in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
Participants Of Excercise :
The 2021 edition of the exercise involves participation of
- 12 Eastern African countries
- US
- UK
- India
Various international organisations Also Took Part :Â
- International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
- Interpol
- European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR)
- Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO).
Main Objective Of Exercise :
- The exercise is designed to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security and increase interoperability between the regional navies.
India & Excercise Cutlass Express :
- India’s Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) is also participating in the exercise.
- India’s participation is in accordance with India’s stated policy towards maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region and vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
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About Indian Ocean Rim Association:
- It was established in 1997.
- It is a regional forum.
Main Objectives & Aim Of This Association :Â
- To seeks to build and expand understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation through a consensus-based, evolutionary and non-intrusive approach.
IORA has 22 member states Includes :Â
- Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Yemen.
- Its Secretariat is based in Cyber City, Ebène, Mauritius.
About INS Talwar:
- INS Talwar is the lead ship of the Talwar-class frigates of the Indian Navy.
- The ship was built in Russia and commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2003.
About Indian Ocean Commission:
- The IOC is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1982
- It comprises five small-island states in the Western Indian Ocean: the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion (a French department), and Seychelles.
- India has been accepted as an observer of the IOC.
India Is Not A Member Of Indian Ocean Commission It Is An Observer .
About Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean(CRIMARIO):
- The CRIMARIO Project was launched by the European Union(EU) in 2015.
- The project aims to improve maritime security and safety in the wider Indian Ocean, with a particular focus on selected countries and archipelagos in East Africa.
