Indian, UK Navy officers interact over training-related issues in Kochi

The Indian Navy and a team of UK Royal Navy Fleet Operational Sea Training Organisation officers interacted at the Headquarters Sea Training (HQST) in Kochi. The UK Navy officers arrived on April 1, 2023, to engage in a professional interaction with their counterparts from the Indian Navy.

The meeting focused on many wide-ranging issues for operational sea training at warships. Both navies also discussed the operational sea training of the warships to better understand joint operations by both nations.

About Fleet Operational Sea Training Organisation

Indian Navy’s Operational Sea Training Command is located at Kochi in Kerala. It is the authority responsible for the operational sea training of all personnel of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships and submarines. The organisation was established in 1992 and is the common authority to maintain battle efficiency standards.

In October 1977, an organisation known as the Weapons Workup Organisation, too, was set up. It was aimed at increasing the efficiency of the ship's weapons. In 1981 it was redesignated the Warship Workup organisation in Mumbai (then known as Bombay). An additional WWO(Weapon WorkmanShip Organisation) was set up in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam for the Eastern fleet.

In March 1992, a single authority was set up to consolidate work-up efforts and serve as the safety authority responsible for Operational Sea training of all ships. The organisation is headed by a Rear Admiral of the executive branch and is based out of Kochi. As the Southern Naval Command was the training command of the Indian Navy, the FOST (Fleet Operational Sea Training) would report to the FOC-in-C SNC.

At Kochi, a local workup team for the Indian Navy was established, as were workup units for Bombay and Vizag. All of the Indian Navy's large warships are prepared for battle at the INWT in Kochi including aircraft carriers and warships responsible for anti-submarine warfare. Frigates, guided-missile destroyers, and other fleet elements of the Indian Navy, too, visit Kochi for operational purposes.

The LWT (West) and LWT (East) develop ocean-going tugs, missile boats, anti-submarine patrol ships, and other seaward-class defence vessels. They are under the administrative control of FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command and the operational control of FOST of Eastern Naval Command, respectively. The FOST performs several training exercises that cover all areas of ship activity. There are short training programmes like sea safety checks and operational sea checks for 7-10 days on selected disciplines like bridge work, damage control and fire fighting, machinery breakdown drills and ship safety.