P8I, an Indian Navy aircraft, will likely be represented at Exercise Sea Dragon, an ASW exercise conducted by the US Navy.                         

Indian Navy aircraft P8I has arrived at Guam, US to participate in Exercise Sea Dragon 23, the third edition of the coordinated multi-lateral annual, multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise for Long Range MR ASQ aircraft.

The ASW exercise is likely to be conducted by the US Navy from March 15th to 30th, focussing on coordinated anti-submarine warfare amongst participating nations.

Launched in 2014, the Exercise Sea Dragon is conducted by the United States Navy, where India, the USA, Japan, Canada, and South Korea are regular participants in the annual, multinational anti-submarine warfare. It involves more than 270 hours of in-flight training and activities ranging from tracking simulated targets to tracking a US Navy submarine. The events consequently will be graded, with awarding the Dragon Belt Award for the country scoring the highest points. Pilots and flight officers from all around the world are developing strategies and often discuss tactics in training sessions, in addition to considering the skills and equipment status of an individual democratic nation.

The scope alongside complexities of these exercises is upsurging on a steady scale in recent years, adding advanced ASW drills in the space. Sea Dragon 23 will likely test the capabilities of the aircraft participating to track simulated and live underwater targets and is highly aimed to share mutual expertise.

The exercise is anticipated to witness representation by an Indian Navy P8I, followed by P8A of the US Navy, and the P1 from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Alongside this, CP 140 from the Royal Canadian Air Force and P3C from the RoKN will also be undertaken for representation at the exercise. The approach aims at achieving high levels of synergy and coordination between the friendly navies, critically based on their shared values and commitments to an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific space.