IOS Sagar: The Indian Navy is providing high-quality training to 44 personnel from nine friendly foreign countries (FFCs) as part of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar mission. The participants, who come from Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, have been undergoing training for the last four days in Kochi. They are learning at different naval professional schools and participating in exercises at sea.
The IOS Sagar mission strengthens India’s cooperation with countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). As part of this initiative, the Indian Navy has renamed the offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna as IOS Sagar. This ship is now operating with both Indian personnel and officers from these friendly nations.
“We are receiving the best training,” Kenyan Navy Major O Olang told PTI. He said that Kochi feels like home because it reminds him of Mombasa, a Kenyan port city. “It’s a great experience working on Indian Navy ships, which are much larger than our own,” he added, according to Business Standard. He also shared that he has not felt any sea sickness during the training. Earlier, he trained with the Indian Navy in Mumbai. A six-member team from Kenya, including two officers and four sailors, is part of the mission.
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Mauritius Coast Guard Inspector SKC Rambhojun said that this kind of training will strengthen the maritime partnership between both countries. “This is the fifth time I am in India for training,” he said. He explained that the Mauritius National Coastguard, which works under the Mauritius Police Force (MPF), takes care of maritime security in the country. An eight-member team from Mauritius, led by two inspectors, is participating in the mission.
The Indian Navy believes that programs like Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) and IOS Sagar will help create long-term security partnerships. Navy officials say that for the first time, officers from different countries are training together on one ship. The participants, who have between three to seven years of experience in their respective forces, are involved in whole-ship activities, watchkeeping, and other exercises related to their specific roles.
The training is being conducted by the Indian Navy Workup Team (INWT) under Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) in Kochi. These exercises aim to familiarize the participants with naval operations under the IOS Sagar mission.
Commodore Abraham Samuel highlighted India’s commitment to working closely with regional navies. He said, “While such exercises are in line with the vision outlined by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of Mutual And Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR) during his recent visit to Mauritius, they also consolidate our position as the preferred security partner in the region.”
India and African nations maritime exercise
Both India and African nations give great importance to maritime security. They are committed to working together to fight security threats like piracy, illegal trafficking, and unregulated and unreported fishing. By sharing information and conducting surveillance, they aim to keep the Indian Ocean safe.
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In mid-April, a large-scale maritime exercise called Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) will take place. AIKEYME, which means “Unity” in Sanskrit, will bring together multiple African nations and India to improve their ability to work together at sea. The Indian Navy and the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) will co-host the first edition of this event. The exercise will take place off the coast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate it.
The exercise will last six days and include participants from Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa, along with the co-hosts. It will have two phases, Harbour and Sea. In the Harbour Phase, there will be exercises on piracy, information sharing, seamanship training, and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations. In the Sea Phase, participants will take part in seamanship drills, search, and rescue missions, VBSS exercises, small arms firing, and helicopter operations. These activities will help all participating navies improve their coordination and operational skills.
After completing its training in Kochi, IOS Sagar will sail to Karwar before heading to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the AIKEYME exercise in April. Navy officers believe that these efforts will strengthen regional maritime security and improve cooperation between India and African nations.
