Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish Arrive in Philippines for ADMM-Plus Maritime Activity

Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on 20 September 2026 for the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Joint Cooperation Activity. The deployment forms part of the Indian Navy’s operational presence in the Indo-Pacific region and includes participation in maritime security-related engagements.

ADMM-Plus and Maritime Cooperation

The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, or ADMM-Plus, is a defence cooperation platform of ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners. The Joint Cooperation Activity in Subic Bay runs from 20 September to 26 September 2026 and includes professional and operational interactions among maritime forces.

The activity is co-hosted by Japan and the Philippines. It brings together naval and maritime units for exercises that include interoperability drills, subject matter exchanges, and coordinated maritime engagements.

Phases of the Joint Cooperative Activity

The ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security Joint Cooperative Activity includes a harbour phase and a sea phase. The harbour phase at Subic Bay includes a disaster-response tabletop exercise, subject matter expertise exchanges, and an open house aboard participating ships.

The sea phase follows the harbour phase and involves coordinated maritime operations. The activity theme is “Enhancing Maritime Security and Environmental Resilience in Response to Climate Change”.

India’s Maritime and Strategic Context

India’s participation aligns with the Government of India’s Act East Policy and the MAHASAGAR vision, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. The deployment also supports maritime cooperation between India and the Philippines, whose strategic partnership was established in August 2025.

The exercise covers maritime security, climate change, disaster response, UNCLOS, and critical underwater infrastructure. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. addressed participating navies during the opening ceremony in Olongapo City, Zambales, on 21 September 2026.

Important Facts for Exams

• ADMM-Plus is a defence mechanism linked to ASEAN and eight Plus countries.
• Subic Bay is a major naval and logistics location in the Philippines.
• UNCLOS stands for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish are Indian Navy ships deployed for maritime cooperation activities.

Participating Naval Assets

Other participating countries with naval assets include Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, and the United States. Participating vessels include USS Canberra (LCS 30) and JS Ise (DDH 182).