Lt Cdr Dilna K. and Lt Cdr Roopa A., onboard the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV Tarini), completed the fourth leg of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II circumnavigation expedition and entered Cape Town, South Africa.
The vessel with the two Indian Navy women officers were welcomed by Ruby Jaspreet, Consul General of India at Cape Town, Rear Admiral (JG) Lisa Hendricks, Chief of Staff, South African Navy Fleet and the Defence Adviser of India at Pretoria, Captain Atul Sapahia.
The stopover of INSV Tarini at Cape Town exhibits the growing ties between India and South Africa and how India stands committed to strengthening its maritime cooperation with the friendly nations in the Indian Ocean Region, the defence ministry said in a release.
The vessel is likely to depart Cape Town on April 15 after scheduled maintenance and repairs at Royal Cape Yacht Club.
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During their two-week stay, the Indian Navy officers will engage and interact with the South African Navy at Simon’s Town Naval Base and Gordon’s Bay Naval College.
Navika Sagar Parikrama-II expedition, which was flagged off by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi on October 2 seeks to promote women empowerment in the Indian armed forces and is expected to motivate many young women to join the services, and Indian Navy in particular. This edition is also aimed at furthering marine and scientific research.
According to the ministry, the vessel and the crew encountered rough seas and extremely cold temperatures coupled with stormy weather conditions, making the circumnavigation highly challenging and demanding.