Indian Navy Launches IOS Sagar Mission With 16 Nations For Maritime Security

Mumbai: The Indian Navy’s offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna transitioned into its new role as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar as it set sail from Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Thursday. It marked the commencement of a high-profile mission to foster maritime security in the Indian Ocean region through multinational collaboration of 16 friendly countries.

Commissioned originally in 2013 as a Saryu-class patrol vessel, INS Sunayna spent over a decade conducting anti-piracy patrols and maritime surveillance. Now, designated as IOS Sagar, it will embody India's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). The ship is currently at the heart of the second edition of the IOS Sagar initiative, which coincides with India’s chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). The mission is designed to move beyond traditional bilateral exercises, creating a permanent platform for integrated regional security.

In its harbour phase from March 16 to 29, the mission enabled professional exchanges, training and coordination among participating personnel. In its sea phase, the crew will now sail aboard IOS Sagar till May 20 with operational deployment across the South-Eastern Indian Ocean Region. The mission will specifically focus on ‘Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure’ (VBSS) operations, which are critical for tackling piracy and illegal trafficking in the Indian Ocean region. It will take port calls at Sri Lanka's Colombo, Thailand's Phuket, Indonesia's Jakarta, Singapore, Bangladesh's Chittagon, Myanmar's Yangon and Male in Maldives.

On Thursday, IOS Sagar was flagged-off by the Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth from the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Naval crew from 16 countries will be onboard the vessel as it will traverse the South Eastern Indian Ocean for the next 50 days to strengthen bonds, carry out operations and deepen mutual understanding among participating nations. In its new avatar, the ship will visit seven maritime partner countries and serve as a floating training academy and operational hub for the naval personnel.

The minister said, “This initiative is not merely a demonstration of India's maritime capability but a reflection of our collective vision. It represents how India sees its role in the maritime domain and how we engage constructively with the wider world.” Highlighting Mission Mahasagar's objectives, he added that IOS Sagar is the practical model of India's maritime ideology to not be restricted to dialogues but also work and learn together.

He highlighted that India has become the leader of the Global South and a trusted partner in the Indian Ocean region as the neighbourhood is undergoing significant transformation through economic shifts, political developments, and increasing engagement by external actors. “India's security approach remains guided by zero tolerance towards terrorism, respecting nations’ sovereignty and the ability of responding in a credible and swift and capitated manner. Operation Sindoor reflects India's resolve, firmness, vigilance and capability in safeguarding its national interests. Increasing jointness among the three services continues to strengthen our overall defense preparedness at the same time,” he said.

He also highlighted India's growing defence export, which has reached an all-time high at Rs38,424 crore in FY 2025-26, recording a growth of over 62% compared to the previous year. “Today we are transforming from buyer navy to manufacturing navy and from coastal strength to blue water navy. India is not only securing its border with strength and determination but also emerging as a trusted partner in global defense. This achievement stands as a testament of our commitment to aatmanirbhar defence production,” he added.

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By training together on a single Indian platform, IOS Sagar aims to enhance interoperability by harmonising communication and tactical procedures between diverse navies, combat shared threats by addressing the rise in maritime grey-zone activities, including illegal fishing and smuggling, and carry out disaster response by strengthening the ability of regional navies to provide coordinated humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Naval chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi highlighted that while piracy, armed robbery and narcotics trafficking are backed by unimpeded access to advanced technology to non-state actors, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed 3,700 maritime incidents in 2025 and narcotic substances were seized worth over $1 Bn.

He stated that competition at sea is no longer confined to oil and energy but is expanding to resources like rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and data, due to which marine survey, deep sea research activity and illegal unregulated fishing has significantly increased.

“This deployment comes at a crucial juncture when the global order is in the state of constant flux and friction. Nowhere are the faultlines of such flux and friction more evident and more disproportionate than in the maritime domain that often becomes the first arena of contestation. In such a complex maritime environment, coming together of 16 like-minded maritime nations for a shared purpose and collective commitment through IOS Sagar is rare and significant,” he added.