Indian warships conduct exercise with US Navy

New Delhi: In a strong strategic signal to China amid the military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, Indian warships are conducting an exercise with the US Navy's nuclear-powered USS Nimitz — the world's largest warship — off the coast of Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Monday and Tuesday.

The Navy's exercise is on similar lines of another that it had carried out with the Japanese Navy last month.

The USS Nimitz, named after the US World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W Nimitz, is manned by around 6,000 naval personnel and carries nearly 90 aircraft, which include F/A-18F Super Hornets, F/A-18E Super Hornets and MH 60 helicopters.

The US aircraft carrier, along with its carrier battle groups, reached the Indian ocean through the Malacca Straits Saturday and is on its way to the Persian Gulf. The Malacca Straits, a global choke point, is also a vital sea line of communication for China's energy and trade resources, essential to keep its economy running.

Another US aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, has also been present in the South China Sea. Reagan reportedly carried out exercises in the South China Sea earlier this month.