The Indian Navy is going to join Iranian and Russian forces in a joint naval drill that kicked off on Tuesday, Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said.

The Iranian Navy chief announced on Tuesday that the Indian naval forces are planned to join Iran and Russia in the exercise going on in the northern parts of the Indian Ocean.

“India has one of the powerful navies in the region,” the Iranian commander added.

Khanzadi noted that China’s Navy, which had participated in the previous edition of the joint drill with Iran and Russia, has announced that it would join the ongoing exercise after the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The general purpose of the war game is to ensure collective security in the region and sustainable security in the northern areas of the Indian Ocean, he noted.

A flotilla of Russian military vessels, including Stoiky frigate and Kola replenishment oiler, arrived in Iran’s southeastern waters on Tuesday to take part in the joint drill.

Iran’s Deputy Army Chief for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Sunday that the joint exercise with the powerful naval forces of Russia has a clear message that the Iranian Navy has reached the level of world naval powers in terms of equipment, human forces, techniques and tactics, command and control, as well as modern telecommunication systems.