India Assumes Chairmanship of IONS
- Context: India has taken over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) from Thailand.
About Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
- Established in 2008 as a voluntary maritime initiative by the Indian Navy.
- Created to strengthen naval cooperation and coordination among countries bordering the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Functions as a platform for enhancing trust, dialogue, and interoperability between member navies.
Exercise Vajra Prahar 2026
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- Context: The 16th edition of Exercise Vajra Prahar will be conducted jointly by the Indian Army and the United States Army at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
- Exercise Vajra Prahar reinforces India–US military cooperation, enhances combat synergy between elite forces, and improves readiness to address emerging security threats.
About the Exercise
- A bilateral Special Forces drill between India and the United States.
- Aims to strengthen defence collaboration and strategic partnership between the two nations.
- Enhances interoperability, coordination, and combined operational preparedness.
- Facilitates sharing of special operations tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
INS Krishna
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- Context: The Indian Navy commissioned INS Krishna, the inaugural vessel in a series of three indigenous Cadet Training Ships (CTS), at the L&T Shipyard located in Kattupalli, Chennai.
- INS Krishna is the first vessel in a series of three indigenously developed Cadet Training Ships (CTS). It has been designed and constructed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
- The primary objective of INS Krishna is to enhance the Indian Navy’s training ecosystem.
- It offers a focused environment where cadets can practice navigation, seamanship, and ship-handling skills.
- This prevents operational warships from being diverted away from active service for training duties.
