New Delhi: Two Indian Naval ships, INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand, on Saturday, participated in a bilateral Naval Maritime Partnership Exercise with the UAE Navy.

In a press release, issued by the Defence Ministry, the maritime exercise aimed to enhance the interoperability and synergy between the two navies by cross-training on tactics, techniques and procedures while developing stronger professional bonds.

The Indian Naval Ships arrived at Port Rashid, Dubai on Tuesday (August 8).

During his visit, Rear Admiral McCarty met Brigadier Abdullah Farj Al Mehairbi, the Deputy Commander of UAE Naval Forces at Abu Dhabi Naval Command. They agreed on increasing the interaction between the two Navies in order to jointly tackle the common challenges of piracy, smuggling, and human trafficking, enhance maritime security and undertake joint Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief operations, should the need arise, the statement read.

The Admiral also called on Sunjay Sudhir, the Ambassador of India to the UAE and updated him on the scope and conduct of the exercise and the road map of Navy-To-Navy cooperation between India and UAE.

The Ambassador highlighted that the presence of these two ships for the naval exercise is an indication of our growing Defence relations with UAE guided by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our countries.

INS Visakhapatnam, commanded by Captain Ashok Rao, is one of the largest operational Destroyers in the Indian Navy and is a completely indigenous warship made by the Mazagaon Docks Limited. NS Trikand, commanded by Captain Pramod G Thomas, is an advanced stealth frigate commissioned in 2013. The ship is a contemporary warship with state-of-the-art technology incorporated in every facet of its design to make her stable, stealthier, fast and formidable, as per the statement.

In Dubai the Western Fleet of Indian Navy ships hosted a "reception onboard - senior leadership of UAE Armed Forces, members of diplomatic community from friendly foreign countries and Indian diaspora Calls on senior naval functionaries, professional interactions, visit to Naval College, Abu Dhabi," Indian Navy said in a tweet.