**Summary:**
On August 1, 2025, Indian Naval Ships (INS) Delhi, Shakti, and Kiltan, part of the Eastern Fleet and commanded by Rear Admiral Susheel Menon (Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet), arrived in Manila, Philippines, as part of an ongoing operational deployment to South East Asia. The visit underscores the commitment of the Indian Navy to strengthen partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and highlights the growing maritime ties between India and the Philippines. Rear Admiral Menon emphasized the shared commitment of both nations to maintaining stability and maritime security during interactions with local media. The port call includes operational planning discussions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), cross-deck visits, and other professional and social engagements between the Indian and Philippine navies to enhance mutual learning and interoperability. A bilateral maritime exercise focusing on joint maneuvers and communication protocols is also scheduled, aiming to improve preparedness, build mutual trust, and strengthen operational synergy in the maritime domain. Release ID: 2151260.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The ministry of the Government of India responsible for defence.
Indian Navy: The naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces.
Manila, Philippines: The capital city of the Philippines, and location of the port visit.
South East Asia: The region where the Indian Navy is conducting operational deployments.
INS Delhi: An Indian Naval Ship participating in the deployment.
Philippine Navy: The naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
IndoPacific: A region of strategic importance for maritime partnerships.
RAdm Susheel Menon: Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF).
Ministry of Defence
INDIAN NAVAL SHIPS VISIT MANILA,
PHILIPPINES, STRENGTHENING MARITIME
COOPERATION IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
Posted On: 01 AUG 2025 3:16PM by PIB Delhi
As part of the Indian Navy’s ongoing operational deployment to South East Asia, Indian Naval
Ships INS Delhi, Shakti, and Kiltan, of the Eastern Fleet, commanded by RAdm Susheel Menon,
Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) , arrived at Manila, Philippines.
The ships were accorded a warm welcome by personnel of the Philippine Navy, underscoring the
strong and growing maritime ties between India and Philippines. The visit is a testimony to Indian
Navy’s commitment to strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific .
On arrival, RAdm Susheel Menon interacted with local media representatives, highlighting the
shared commitment of both nations towards maintaining stability, and maritime security. He
emphasized the importance of such deployments in promoting understanding, trust, and
cooperation among friendly maritime forces.
The visits reaffirms the strategic importance of the event and the high-level engagement with the Philippine
Navy, representing India’s maritime outreach in the region.
During the port call, several harbour interactions are scheduled between the Indian Navy and the Philippine
Navy. These include operational planning discussions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) , cross-
deck visits and other professional and social engagements aimed at enhancing mutual learning and
interoperability.
The visit will also feature a bilateral maritime exercise between the two navies, focusing on joint manoeuvres
and communication protocols to improve preparedness, build mutual trust and strengthen operational synergy
in the maritime domain.****
VM/SKY 149/25
(Release ID: 2151260)