INDIA: Mumbai: INS Talwar which is at Mombasa, Kenya, participating in the multinational Exercise “Cutlass Express – 21”, undertook training lectures for Kenya Navy personnel onboard in various aspects of Fleet Communication Procedures, Coastal Navigation, Passage Planning, and Operation Plots.
The ship also undertook practical training in aspects of fire fighting, tackling major fires onboard, stability calculations, and damage control aspects. The training sessions provided insights to the participants on the method of conducting such operations onboard. The training lectures and demonstrations were conducted with all COVID-19 safety precautions in place. On the sidelines of the “Cutlas Express 21”, the ship has also been undertaking a bilateral exercise with the Kenya Navy towards enhancing interoperability and building cooperation between both the navies.
The Exercise Cutlass Express 2021, will conclude on August 06, Friday. The 2021 edition of the exercise involved the participation of 12 Eastern African countries, US, UK, India, and various international organizations like the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol, European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), Critical Maritime Routes Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO) and EUCAP Somalia.
Indian Navy played a ‘trainer role’ in the exercise which focused on East Africa’s coastal regions. The Indian Navy, together with other partners, undertook the training of contingents from various participating countries in various fields across the spectrum of maritime security operations.
The Opening Ceremony for the “Cutlass Express” was held on July 26 July, at the Bandari Maritime Academy at Mombasa and was addressed by Base Commander Kenyan Navy, India’s Chargé d’Affaires, and Head of US AFRICOM Gen. Stephen Townsend.
INHS Sandhani
In the meanwhile back home, the foundation stone for the construction of 30 bedded new hospital building for INHS Sandhani at Naval station Karanja, in Uran Taluka in Raigad district was laid by Surgeon Rear Admiral Sheila S Mathai, NM, VSM, Command Medical Officer, Western Naval Command on Tuesday.
The 30-bed state-of-the-art hospital building would provide medical cover to the Service and Civilian personnel in and around Naval station Karanja as well as the local Ex-Servicemen community. The project will be executed by Military Engineering Service under Chief Engineer (Naval Works), Mumbai. She reviewed the project plan on-site and also visited various medical facilities established.
At present INHS Asvini is the only Naval Hospital located at Colaba in South Mumbai mainly catering to servicemen in the Western Naval Command. The proposed hospital at Uran will help provide immediate medicare to those located away from Mumbai.
INHS Sandhani is now the tenth naval hospital of the Indian Navy. With the steady expansion of Naval Station Karanja, over the last few decades, a need for a dedicated multi-specialty hospital was felt, in order to provide quality healthcare to more than 8,000 naval personnel and their dependents, who reside at Karanja. This 30 bedded hospital, with a team of specialists in the fields of Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Anaesthesia and Dental Sciences; will not only improve the quality and speed of healthcare delivery, but also obviate the need for patients, including those with critical ailments and emergency cases, to travel by sea to Mumbai.
