An Indian Navy vessel, mission deployed in the northern Arabian Sea, welcomed Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets on their way back to India from an exercise in the United Arab Emirates.

“Welcome back. Your safety over the sea is our responsibility. Happy landings,” the warship, deployed in the Arabian Sea under Operation Sankalp, said.

Under Operation Sankalp, the Indian Navy deploys its warships near the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe passage of Indian vessels.
“Indian Navy warships and aircraft were deployed to establish presence, provide a sense of reassurance to the Indian merchantmen, monitor the ongoing situation and respond to any emergent crises,” the Indian Navy’s website says.

IAF fighters are returning to India after participating in the annual multi-national exercise hosted by the United Arab Emirates Air Force.

The exercise took place between 3 March and 27 March at the Al-Dhafra airbase in the UAE. The IAF participated in the exercise with six Su-30 MKI fighters, two C-17 transport aircraft and one IL-78 tanker aircraft.