Amid an upswing in India-Namibia defence relations, the Indian Navy has deployed one of its most potent warships, the INS Sumedha, in the waters of the Walvis Bay, the South Asian country's blue water force said on Monday.
"INS Sumedha in continuation with Indian Navy’s mission-based deployment to West Africa and Atlantic made a port call at Walvis Bay, Namibia from 10-13 November 23. This port call is a manifestation of India's warm ties with Namibia, its commitment to enhance maritime security and demonstrate solidarity with friendly nations," the Indian Navy's statement read.
Both Namibia and India have issued statements in recent months about their expanding cooperation in the field of defense.
Besides training Namibian defense personnel in India, the armed forces of the world's largest democratic sovereign state are eyeing the African country's defense market as South Block looks to achieve its ambitious target of $5 billion in military hardware exports by 2025.
At present, India's overall defense exports stand at just over $2 billion.