Cape Town - Green, orange and white flags flew above Naval Base Simon’s Town on Tuesday as South Africa welcomed the Brazilian and Indian fleets to its shores for the IBSAMAR VI 2018 Trilateral Naval Exercise.
The exercise, undertaken between the fleets, is in its sixth edition of the training routine, which will take place on the West Coast.
The fleets will train together so the navies can build interoperability, share best practices and create a mutual understanding.
SAS Protea captain Glen Hallett said: “The first sea phase was an integration phase where we see what we can improve.
“The initial exercises were primarily focusing on conventional warfare, fighting ships and fighting each other at sea, but threats have changed.
“There is a lot of drug smuggling and piracy taking place and we are starting to include that (problem) as part of our training.
“As a growing navy, we need to learn from other naval bases.”
Hallet said the Exercise includes harbour and sea phases, with surface weapons firing, force protection exercises, anti-piracy exercises, anti-air and anti-submarine exercises and flying operations.
He said the navy has been learning how to handle and seize pirated ships operating on the east coast Mozambique channel and piracy has drastically reduced since their presence in the bay.
The Indian Captain, Ajay Theophilus of the Guided Missile Frigate Tarkash, said the take back from all the exercises they are conducting is huge because they are able to operate in a different environment and in different waters.
Green, orange and white flags flew above Naval Base Simon’s Town on Tuesdays as South Africa welcomed the Brazilian and Indian fleets to its shores. Video: Supplied
“The basics of tactics and basics of combat remain the same. If there are new things Brazil or South Africa learn, they tell us, if there is something we learn, we tell them. The navy gives and takes.
“In all this we are combating the evil forces of today’s world.”
Brazilian task force commander Captain Sérgio Ozório said the navies have similar difficulties and can find common solutions to the problems they face.