INS Sudarshini returns to Alexandria during 22,000-nautical mile Lokayan 26 voyage
INS Sudarshini during its Lokayan 26 voyage and port call at Alexandria. (Image courtesy: X.com/@indiannavy)
New Delhi: Indian Navy sail training ship INS Sudarshini arrived at Alexandria, Egypt, on Wednesday for its second visit to the port during the ongoing 10-month Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition. The port call combines long-range sail training with professional engagement between the Indian and Egyptian navies as the vessel continues a voyage scheduled to cover about 22,000 nautical miles across 18 ports in 13 countries.
The ship was received by the commander of Alexandria Naval Base, Rear Admiral Mohamed Abdel Aziz, along with representatives of the Indian embassy. The visit includes courtesy calls, cross-deck visits and professional interactions with Egyptian naval personnel, providing opportunities to exchange professional expertise without constituting a naval exercise.
The defence ministry said Lokayan 26 began from Kochi on January 20 and will provide sail training to more than 200 Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard personnel across different legs of the deployment. Trainees gain practical experience in long-range navigation, sail handling, open-sea manoeuvring and traditional seamanship, complementing their training on modern naval platforms.
The voyage has taken Sudarshini through the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Mediterranean, including a transit of the Suez Canal and participation in the Escale a Sete maritime festival in France. The ship completed its first Atlantic crossing on May 27 when it reached Antigua after a 19-day passage from Cape Verde. INS Tarangini had previously crossed the Atlantic in 2007.
Sudarshini subsequently continued through the Atlantic and later returned to Europe via the Azores and Portugal. By the time it reached Livorno, Italy, on September 9, the Navy said the ship had covered more than 17,400 nautical miles across 10 countries.
Built indigenously by Goa shipyard limited and commissioned on January 27, 2012, INS Sudarshini is a 54 metre, three masted sail training ship with more than 1,000 square metres of sail area. Its primary role is to train naval personnel in navigation, sailing and seamanship.
The Alexandria visit also continues professional links developed during Sudarshini’s first call at the Egyptian port in March after its northbound Suez Canal transit. The Navy has positioned Lokayan 26 as both a training deployment and a maritime outreach mission under Mahasagar, which is an acronym for “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions”.
