New Delhi: In line with the growing ties between India and Indonesia, Admiral Muhammad Ali, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, is on an official visit to India as part of the high-level delegation accompanying President Prabowo Subianto, the chief guest for the Republic Day Parade 2025.
The Ministry of Defence in a statement said, “During his visit, Admiral (Adm) Muhammad Ali and Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, held bilateral interactions to deepen maritime cooperation and strengthen ties between the two-close maritime neighbours.”
“The key areas of discussion between the two naval leaders included advancing joint initiatives like Exercise Samudra Shakti, strengthening operational collaboration, and addressing shared maritime challenges, including piracy and other illegal activities at sea,” the MoD added.
The visit also included engagements at key maritime establishments such as the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) and the Weapons and Electronics Systems and Engineering Establishment (WESEE), “focusing on enhancing regional collaboration and maritime domain awareness”.
The WESEE, established in 1985, has chipped in significantly in successful indigenisation pertaining to the weapons, electronic Systems and Information security. As for the IFC-IOR, inaugurated in December 2018, was established keeping in mind the significance of the Indian Ocean to world trade and security. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s maritime trade and 50 per cent of global oil pass through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
However, the region is troubled by maritime terrorism, piracy, human and contraband trafficking, illegal and unregulated fishing, arms running and poaching. India aims to meet these challenges with enhanced situational awareness which will enable security agencies to function effectively and help disseminate important information to ally countries. IFC-IOR is tasked to collate, fuse and disseminate intelligence on ‘White Shipping’ in the Indian Ocean.
Indonesia is to base its liaison officer at the IFC IOR in future, said sources.
“Adm Muhammad Ali also visited the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) and exchanged ideas and insights on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the area of defence and strategy,” said the MoD.
Adm Muhammad Ali’s engagements with the Indian Navy and defence stakeholders reflect a shared commitment to fostering regional cooperation and ensuring a secure and peaceful maritime environment, it added.
