Naval war machines from five nations nearing Bay of Bengal
New Delhi, Sept. 2 (PTI): Notwithstanding protests by the Left parties, powerful warships from five nations today started nearing a rendezvous point in the Bay of Bengal for the start of the biggest naval wargame hosted by India.
The four-day wargame set to begin early on Tuesday will see a flotilla of 26 warships, including aircraft carriers, missile frigates and destroyers, in intense action.
Nine of the 13 US warships taking part in the exercises, including nuclear-powered carrier USS Nimitz, conventional carrier USS Kitty Hawk and nuclear submarine USN Chicago, have reached the exercise point located 180 nautical miles from Vishakhapatnam, almost mid-way to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
A missile frigate from the Singapore Navy and eight Indian warships led by the country's sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat have also reached the spot.
Two warships each from Australia and Japan are also close to the spot, naval officials said.
The wargame is being held just 30 to 40 nautical miles from Myanmar's Coco Islands, where the Chinese Navy is reportedly building a naval base.
