The 44 personnel from nine friendly foreign countries (FFCs) undergoing training as part of the Indian Navy’s Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar mission felt that they were receiving top-tier training from a strong security partner in the Indian Ocean region.
Participants from the Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania have been undergoing training for the past four days at various naval professional schools in Kochi, including sessions at sea.
The IOS Sagar initiative reinforces ongoing cooperation with Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations.
As part of this mission, the offshore patrol vessel, INS Sunayna, has been renamed IOS Sagar and deployed with a combined crew of Indian personnel and officers from these friendly nations. “We are receiving the best training,” Kenyan Navy Major O Olang told PTI.He added that Kochi feels like home, as it closely resembles the Kenyan port city of Mombasa in many ways.
“It’s a great experience working on Indian Navy ships, which are much larger than our own,” he added, citing that he has not experienced any sea sickness during the training.
Olang underwent training with the Indian Navy in Mumbai earlier.
A six-member team of Kenya comprising two officers and four sailors is part of the mission.
Mauritius Coast Guard Inspector SKC Rambhojun said this kind of exercise would enhance the strong maritime partnership between both countries. “This is the fifth time I am in India for training,” he added.According to him, the Mauritius National Coastguard, which is under the Mauritius Police Force (MPF), carries out the country’s maritime responsibilities.
An eight-member team of Mauritius National Coastguard under two inspectors is participating in the mission.
As India expands its naval collaborations with African nations, Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) and Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar could serve as catalysts for a deeper and enduring security partnership, according to Indian Navy officials.
The participants of IOS Sagar have been deployed in whole-ship activities, watchkeeping and other events related to their respective branches or trades.
A professional training to familiarise the participants with the procedures of naval operations within the framework of the Indian Navy’s IOS Sagar mission is taking place under the Indian Navy Workup Team (INWT), for Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), in Kochi.According to Navy officers, this is the first time officers from diverse countries are attending an exercise under one ship. They are experienced personnel with service ranging from three to seven years in their respective forces, they said.
The Indian Navy by way of initiatives such as IOS Sagar and exercise AIKEYME aims to further strengthen its long-standing commitment towards greater engagement with regional navies.
“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,” Commodore Abraham Samuel said.India and Africa give immense importance to maritime security and have reiterated their commitment to increase cooperation in tackling maritime security threats such as piracy, illegal activities including trafficking, and unregulated and unreported fishing through the sharing of information and surveillance.
A large-scale multilateral maritime engagement exercise with African countries, titled Africa India Key Maritime Engagement’ also known as AIKEYME’, which means Unity’ in Sanskrit, will be held in mid-April.
It is an initiative to enhance interoperability with the navies or maritime agencies.
The inaugural edition of the exercise is being co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF). It will take place off the coast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and is scheduled to be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.Spanning six days, the exercise will see participation from Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa, alongside the co-hosts.
The exercise consists of two phasesHarbour and Sea, according to Navy officials.
The Harbour Phase will feature tabletop and command post exercises on piracy and information sharing, as well as training in seamanship and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations.
The Sea Phase will include seamanship drills, search and rescue operations, VBSS exercises, small arms firing, and helicopter operations, further strengthening maritime cooperation in the region.
IOS Sagar will leave for Karwar and then sail to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the AIKEYME’ exercise in April, Navy officers said.
