INS Trishul in the French port of Toulon, as part of Exercise Varuna. (Image credit: French Navy)
Indian warships have had a busy few weeks as they have been exercising with their counterparts in Europe, Africa and on Russia's Pacific coast at the same time, while a sail training ship, INS Sudarshini, continues a long ocean voyage.
The overlapping deployments underline the Navy's focus on interoperability, maritime diplomacy and the protection of India's interests along vital sea routes.The latest engagement was Exercise Konkan-26, held off Plymouth in the United Kingdom from October 8 to 15. The stealth frigate INS Trishul operated alongside HMS Sutherland, a Duke-class anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy. The exercise was run by the Royal Navy's fleet operational standards and training organisation.
The four-day sea phase of the exercise covered seamanship manoeuvres, tactical exercises, communication procedures, anti-surface asymmetric warfare, anti-submarine warfare and weapon firings in a multi-threat environment.
Navy Lookout reported that German and Norwegian warships also trained with Trishul off Plymouth. The frigate is due in Lisbon from October 18 to 22, where exercises with the Portuguese Navy are planned.
Trishul had earlier arrived at Toulon in France on September 22 for the 24th edition of Exercise Varuna with the French Navy. The harbour phase included professional, sporting and cultural engagements, and the sea phase saw it operate with the French frigates Forbin and La Fayette, the nuclear attack submarine Suffren, NH90 helicopters and Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft. It then made a port call in Spain.In South Africa, INS Tarkash is taking part in the ninth edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR) first held in 2008.
The frigate arrived at Simon's Town on October 11 with an embarked Chetak helicopter and sailed on October 15 for the sea phase. The exercise covers surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare, naval aviation, maritime interdiction, anti-piracy operations, search and rescue and damage control.In the east on the Pacific Ocean, INS Sahyadri arrived at Vladivostok on October 10 for Exercise INDRA-2026 with the Russian navy from October 13 to 18.
The bilateral exercise includes harbour-based engagements and coordinated activities at sea, aimed at improving operational understanding between the two navies.The navy's role extends beyond exercises. During the recent West Asia crisis, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised its efforts to facilitate the safe transit of Indian-flagged merchant vessels, including LPG tankers, through the Strait of Hormuz under Operation Urja Suraksha.
The operation underlined the link between maritime security and India's energy supplies and economic interests.Maritime diplomacy is also being pursued through INS Sudarshini, the Navy's three-masted sail training ship, which is on the Lokayan-26 voyage that began from Kochi in January. It departed Salalah in Oman on October 17 after a visit that included professional interactions and sporting engagements with the Royal Navy of Oman. The voyage is meant to develop seamanship, resilience and leadership among trainees while building goodwill with partner countries.These deployments fit India's MAHASAGAR vision of maritime cooperation and security across regions, and they show the Navy's capacity to sustain engagements across several theatres at once.