DAR-ES-SALAAM, Tanzania — Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayna arrived at the Port of Dar-es-Salaam on Saturday, marking a significant milestone in India’s outreach to the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through the IOS SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative.
The offshore patrol vessel set sail from Karwar, Karnataka, on April 5 and is carrying 44 naval personnel from nine Friendly Foreign Nations (FFNs), including Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. The embarked officers are participating as part of the ship’s crew to bolster regional maritime cooperation.
The ship was received with a ceremonial welcome by Rear Admiral A.R. Hassan, Chief of the Tanzania Navy, along with Indian and Tanzanian dignitaries, including Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence), and Commodore Agyapal Singh, India’s Defence Attaché to Tanzania.
During its port call, Sunayna will participate in the harbor phase of Exercise AIKEYME, a key multinational maritime drill. The exercise will be officially inaugurated on April 13 by India’s Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth. Indian Navy ships INS Chennai, a guided-missile destroyer, and INS Kesari, a large landing ship tank, will also join Sunayna in the exercise.
Exercise AIKEYME aims to improve interoperability, enhance operational coordination, and refine joint maritime strategies among participating nations.
The Indian Navy said the participation of foreign naval personnel aboard Sunayna underscores the importance of collective security and regional goodwill. “Through such exercises and engagements, the Indian Navy remains committed to advancing collective maritime security and ensuring the free and safe movement of shipping lanes in the region,” the Navy said in a statement.
Following its engagement in Tanzania, Sunayna is scheduled to depart on April 15 for its next port of call in Nacala, Mozambique, as part of the ongoing IOS SAGAR mission.
