Pariksha SaathiIndian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish arrive at Subic Bay for ADMM-Plus exercise
As part of an operational deployment, the Indian Navy's INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish reached Subic Bay in the Philippines on 20 September 2026 for the Joint Cooperation Activity (JCA) of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). The JCA brings the navies of ASEAN member states together with those of the eight 'Plus' nations for exchanges at the professional and operational level, aimed at improving interoperability, building mutual understanding and deepening cooperation at sea. The Ministry of Defence linked India's participation to its Act East Policy and to the MAHASAGAR vision, short for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. The port call also reflects closer maritime ties between India and the Philippines, building on the Strategic Partnership the two countries established in August 2025. Sahyadri (F49) is a stealth multi-role frigate of the Shivalik class, and Kulish (P63) is a corvette of the Kora class.
Drafted with AI assistance from a live web search; a second AI pass confirmed the official link above and checked a sample of the facts against it. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The ADMM-Plus brings together the defence ministers of ASEAN and eight dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. Its first meeting was held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on 12 October 2010, where maritime security, counter-terrorism, military medicine, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief were identified as areas of practical cooperation.
Reference: ASEAN's Chairman's Statement of the first ADMM-Plus (Ha Noi, 2010)
Check yourself: does India take part in ADMM-Plus as an ASEAN member?
No. India is not an ASEAN member; it participates as one of the eight 'Plus' dialogue partners, alongside Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
Revision task: write the two policy frames the Ministry of Defence cited for this deployment (Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR) separately from the standing facts about ADMM-Plus (first meeting in 2010 at Ha Noi, eight Plus countries).
Test yourself
INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish arrived at Subic Bay, Philippines in September 2026 to take part in which activity?
Show the answer
Answer: ADMM-Plus Joint Cooperation Activity
The two ships took part in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Joint Cooperation Activity, in line with India's Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR vision.
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