India and Russia are scheduled to hold Indra 2020 in the Andaman Sea, close to the Strait of Malacca instead of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The Strait of Malacca connects Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and is 900 km in length and is also a prominent trade route between East Asia and West Asia-Europe.
IOR is under high operational alert by the Indian Navy due to the ongoing standoff with China in Ladakh.
Andaman Sea was also the location where frontline warships of the Indian Navy conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the USA Navy’s USS Nimitz carrier strike group in July this year.
Here from UPSC point of view 3 points are important .
- what is purpose of military exercise ?
- what is strait ?
- what is isthmus ?
What is strait?
A strait is a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water.
What is Isthmus?
Isthmus, narrow strip of land connecting two large land areas otherwise separated by the sea.
