The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS), comprising INS Tir, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, has completed a planned training and engagement visit to the Maldives following a port call and exercise in Seychelles, the High Commission of India in Male said on 24 October 2026.
Deployment and engagements
The three ships had earlier made a port call at Port Victoria, Seychelles, from 12 October. They departed Port Victoria on 15 October on the continuation of the training deployment. During the Seychelles visit the squadron conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Seychelles Coast Guard ship Andromache, the Indian Navy said on its official X account.
In the Maldives phase of the deployment, the visiting ships carried out a PASSEX with the Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard and conducted additional training and military engagement activities, the High Commission of India in Male posted on X. The posts emphasised that the interactions reinforced maritime ties between India and the island states.
“The 1 TS of the Indian Navy (INS Tir, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi) successfully concluded their highly productive training and military engagement, including the PASSEX with the MNDF Coast Guard, reinforcing the enduring maritime partnership between India and the Maldives,” the High Commission posted on X.
Naval diplomacy and training focus
Public accounts of the deployment show a mix of routine training at sea and bilateral interoperability work with coast guard units of partner nations. The Indian Navy described the Seychelles PASSEX as involving joint patrolling, communications drills and coordinated manoeuvres, underlining the emphasis on practical, tactical cooperation.
- Ships involved: INS Tir, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi
- Partner units: Seychelles Coast Guard ship Andromache; Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard
- Port call dates: Port Victoria visit 12–15 October 2026; Maldives engagement concluded by 24 October 2026
The visits form part of an ongoing training deployment by 1TS. Senior officers from the visiting squadron met Seychelles Defence Force leadership during the Port Victoria call, with discussions focused on bilateral cooperation and the long-standing maritime partnership, the High Commission said.
Such deployments serve multiple objectives: providing sea-training opportunities for crews, exercising communications and procedures with partner maritime forces, and signalling sustained Indian naval engagement in the western Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy’s public posts framed the activities as reinforcing friendship and cooperation with the two island nations.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Squadron | First Training Squadron (1TS) |
| Visiting ships | INS Tir, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi |
| Partner ships | Seychelles Coast Guard ship Andromache; Maldives Coast Guard |
| Port call | Port Victoria, Seychelles (12–15 October 2026) |
No further operational details — such as specific training curricula, tactical procedures practised or follow-on visits — were included in the Indian Navy or High Commission posts.
