New Delhi: Indian Naval Ship Trishul, a frontline guided-missile stealth frigate, arrived at Valencia, Spain, on Wednesday as part of its ongoing deployment across the Mediterranean, Atlantic and adjoining maritime regions. During the port call, the ship will hold professional interactions and cross-deck visits with the Spanish navy, alongside sporting and cultural engagements aimed at strengthening professional familiarity between the two services.
The Valencia visit follows Trishul’s participation in the 24th edition of Exercise Varuna with the French navy at Toulon, giving the deployment a mix of operational training and bilateral naval engagement. The Navy said the Spanish port call would provide opportunities to exchange operational experience and improve mutual understanding, but no bilateral exercise with Spain has been announced.
From Varuna to Valencia
Trishul reached Toulon on September 22 for Exercise Varuna, the annual India-France bilateral maritime exercise. The harbour phase included professional exchanges, cross-deck visits and sporting and cultural activities before the frigate moved to sea with French naval units for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare drills, live firing and cross-deck helicopter landing serials.
French participants included the frigates Forbin and La Fayette, the Suffren-class nuclear powered attack submarine Suffren, NH90 helicopters and an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, according to the defence ministry. The drills were designed to improve operational coordination and interoperability between the two navies.
As RNA Media reported earlier, Trishul’s wider overseas deployment had taken the frigate to Alexandria from September 14 to 17, where it also conducted a passage exercise with Egyptian naval ship Bernees, involving coordinated manoeuvres, communications drills and approaches used to prepare for replenishment at sea.
A frontline multi-role warship
Commissioned on June 25, 2003, Trishul is the second of the Talwar-class frigates. The approximately 3,700-tonne ship is about 125 metres long, can reach speeds of up to 30 knots and carries a multi-role helicopter, enabling it to undertake a wide range of maritime missions.
Its movement from Egypt to France and Spain illustrates how Indian Navy overseas deployments can combine sea training with port calls and professional exchanges across several partner navies. The defence minister, Rajnath Singh recently cited Indian warship deployments in the Mediterranean and Atlantic while discussing the Navy’s blue-water reach.
The Indian Navy said the deployment forms part of its sustained engagement with friendly countries and partner navies, combining operational readiness with maritime engagement and international outreach.
Trishul will continue professional, sporting and cultural engagements with the Spanish navy at Valencia before resuming its wider deployment. The Navy has not announced the frigate’s next destination.