Indian Navy Ships, INS Kolkata and INS Shakti, to Participate in International Fleet Review in Qingdao, China

Indian Navy will send two ships, INS Kolkata and INS Shakti, to participate in the International Fleet Review in Qingdao, China, as part of the celebrations of the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

INS Kolkata (D63) is the lead ship of the indigenous Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers while INS Shakti (A57) is a Deepak-class fleet tanker. The two ships are scheduled to arrive in Qingdao on April 21, and will participate in the maritime parade on April 23.

The harbor stay of the Indian navy ships will be marked by interaction between personnel of participating navies, courtesy calls to various dignitaries of PLA navy and government officials, professional exchanges and various sporting events, said a Chinese Ministry of National Defense statement.

Ships will be open for visits by PLA navy personnel and local populace, said an official statement issued by the Indian Navy.