India Sails Its Diplomacy: Navy Exercises with Netherlands, Docks in Vietnam
India’s naval diplomacy was on active display this week, with the Indian Navy simultaneously conducting a maritime exercise with the Netherlands in the Arabian Sea and sailing an oceanographic research vessel into Vietnamese waters—two engagements that together trace the contours of India’s expanding maritime outreach across the Indo-Pacific.
On May 7, INS Sharda conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter off Kochi, aimed at strengthening interoperability and operational synergy between the two navies.
The exercise coincided with a visit by a high-level Netherlands delegation to the Southern Naval Command, led by Major General (Royal Marines) Rob De Wit, Deputy Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
The delegation called on Rear Admiral Prakash Gopalan, with discussions focusing on maritime cooperation and areas of mutual interest. The Indian Navy described the exercise as an important milestone in the bilateral maritime partnership, reaffirming India’s standing as a preferred security partner in the region.
Separately, INS Sagardhwani, the Indian Navy’s oceanographic research vessel, arrived at Cam Ranh, Vietnam, on May 5.
The vessel was received by Senior Colonel Tran Van Cuong, Deputy Head of the Khanh Hoa Military Command, along with representatives from the Vietnam People’s Navy and the Coast Guard.
During the port call, INS Sagardhwani was scheduled to conduct scientific interactions with the Institute of Oceanography in Nha Trang, alongside training exchanges, cross-training visits, sports fixtures, and joint yoga sessions with the Vietnam People’s Navy.
Commissioned in July 1994, the vessel has been a dedicated platform for marine scientific research, with contributions to marine acoustics and naval oceanography.
Taken together, the two engagements reflect India’s broader maritime strategy, one that pairs operational partnerships with scientific cooperation to advance maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific.
