The U.S. Navy and Indian Navy conducted a joint maritime patrol and reconnaissance training exercise in the Indian Ocean, near Diego Garcia, from Oct. 22 to 28 to boost their interoperability and coordination.
A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Commander, Task Force 72 joined an Indian Navy P-8I aircraft for bilateral anti-submarine warfare and maritime domain awareness drills, according to an announcement from U.S. 7th Fleet Commander released Monday.
US 7th Fleet Unit Fielded
Patrol Squadron 4, assigned to CTF 72 under the U.S. 7th Fleet, led the U.S. participation in the exercise. The 7th Fleet is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed formation, and it regularly operates with allies and partners to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The one-week exercise included joint operational planning, information-sharing sessions and combined flight operations designed to improve coordination in detecting and tracking undersea threats.
What is the P-8 Aircraft Network’s Role?
“Maritime domain awareness, which the global network of P-8 aircraft contribute to, is a critical aspect of identifying threats, traditional and non-traditional, that could threaten the stability and security in the region,” said Capt. Rodney Erler, CTF 72 commodore.
The collaboration builds on previous interoperability efforts, such as April’s Tiger Triumph 2025, where both militaries integrated satellite and unmanned systems to enhance joint communications and warfighting capabilities. The Indian Navy also participated in the U.S. Navy-hosted, two-week Sea Dragon anti-submarine warfare exercise in 2024, along with the Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Republic of Korea Navy.