The defence ministry on Thursday flagged off the INS Sunayna, an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of the Indian Navy designated under a mission titled Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR, in a major step forward for boosting regional maritime cooperation.
The patrol ship, which carries naval personnel from not just India, but also from 16 Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs), was flagged off by Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, in the presence of Naval chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi.
This comes after the IOS SAGAR mission completed its Harbour Phase from March 16-29, 2026, facilitating professional exchanges, training, and coordination among the crew before the seven-week Sea Phase.
During the IOS SAGAR deployment from April 2 to May 20, the OPV will undertake port calls at Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the Maldives—with the seven-week phase set to conclude at Kochi, India.
During this period, the crew will be trained in seamanship, navigation, communication procedures, maritime safety, firefighting, damage control, advanced bridgemanship, and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations.
The training at sea is expected to boost their operational readiness and decision-making capabilities in all kinds of maritime situations.
According to MoS Sanjay Seth, the IOS SAGAR mission was a practical and operational expression of Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), which fosters global maritime cooperation with a focus on the Global South.
He also noted the recent return of the Indian Navy's stitched sailing ship INSV Kaundinya (MMSI: 419002029) after a successful voyage from Oman, symbolising the growing maritime cooperation between the two nations, which Vision MAHASAGAR aims to build upon.
Admiral Tripathi also reiterated the importance of the IOS SAGAR mission, given an evolving maritime landscape marked by increasing contestation, IUU fishing, piracy, narco-trafficking, and emerging competition over critical resources.
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