New Delhi, Sep 26 (FN Agency) Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh arrived in Oman on Sunday for a three-day official visit from September 27 to 29, in a bid to consolidate bilateral defence relations and to explore new avenues for defence cooperation, an official statement said. The Navy Chief will hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Rear Admiral Saif bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi, Commander of Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) in Muscat.
During the visit, the Navy Chief would also be interacting with senior hierarchy of Oman including Vice Admiral Abdullah Khamis Abdullah Al Raisi (Chief of Staff Sutan’s Armed Forces), Maj Gen Matar Bin Salim Bin Rashid Al Balushi (Commander of Royal Army of Oman), Air Vice Marshal Khamis Bin Hammad Bin Sultan Al Ghafri (Commander of Royal Air Force of Oman) and Dr. Mohammad Bin Nasser Bin Ali Al Zaabi (Secretary General, MoD). He would also be visiting key defence installations like Muaskar Al Murtafa (MAM) Camp, Maritime Security Centre (MSC), Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Al Musanna Air Base and National Defence College, Oman.
“The Indian Navy cooperates with Royal Navy of Oman on many fronts, which include operational interactions, training cooperation, and exchange of Subject Matter Experts in various fields,” the statement said. “This official visit of the Navy Chief to Oman highlights the growing cooperation between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman,” it said. Both Navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr since 1993. This exercise was last conducted in 2020, off Goa and the next edition is scheduled in 2022.