Indian fleet arrives in Russia's Vladivostok for naval exercises

VLADIVOSTOK - An Indian fleet of three warships arrived in this Russian Far East city Monday to take part in a joint naval drill with Russia.

The fleet, consisting of a guided missile destroyer, a frigate and a supply vessel, docked to a pier near the headquarters of Russia's Pacific Fleet for the three-day war game, which will begin Thursday in the Sea of Japan.

The exercises, dubbed INDRA 2014, is aimed at strengthening mutual trust and deepening cooperation between the two countries' armed forces, and boosting their capabilities to jointly cope with maritime security threats.

Naval exercises between Russia and India has become regular since the beginning of this century, with the first drills carried out in 2003 near the western and eastern coasts of India.

In 2005, the joint naval exercises were code-named INDRA. The two countries held an anti-terror naval drill in the Sea of Japan in 2007.