Indian naval ship IOS Sagar to arrive in Colombo tomorrow

Colombo, May 14 (Daily Mirror) - The Indian Naval Ship INS Sunayna operating as IOS Sagar with a multinational crew from 16 countries is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Colombo tomorrow (15), marking its seventh port call during the second edition of the deployment.

The IOS Sagar was flagged off from Mumbai on April 2, 2026, following combined harbour training conducted for officers and sailors from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Singapore, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste and the UAE at Indian Naval training establishments.

According to the Indian Navy, the training programme covered seamanship, navigation, communication procedures, safety at sea, firefighting and damage control, as well as specialised modules including Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations and advanced bridgemanship.

During the Colombo port call, the Commanding Officer of IOS Sagar is expected to meet senior Sri Lanka Navy officials, including the Commander Western Naval Area and the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet.

The multinational crew will also engage in professional and sports interactions with the Sri Lanka Navy and visit several places of interest in Sri Lanka.

The initiative is part of the Indian Navy’s “Bridges of Friendship” programme aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation and regional engagement under the vision of “One Ocean, One Mission.”

The deployment is also in line with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MAHASAGAR vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — which promotes cooperative maritime security and engagement in the Indian Ocean region.