NewzVille Desk
Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR arrived at Phuket, Thailand, on Tuesday on completion of a six-day transit from Malé, Maldives, marking the second port call of its ongoing mission.
The IOS SAGAR-INS Sunayna, with a multinational crew from 16 Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs), is on deployment to the Indian Ocean Region, reinforcing the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
The current edition of IOS SAGAR, which commenced in Mar 2026, also reflects India’s leadership role as Chair of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
During the port call at Phuket, IOS SAGAR is scheduled to engage in professional interactions with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and enhancing mutual understanding.
A range of social, cultural and sporting engagements are also planned to foster camaraderie and people-to-people connect.
The ship’s stay coincides with the Songkran festival, the traditional Thai New Year, providing an opportunity for strengthening cultural exchanges amongst the participating navies.
During the transit from Malé, the international crew undertook structured training activities at sea, including seamanship evolutions and operational drills, aimed at enhancing collective readiness, interoperability and maritime cooperation.
IOS SAGAR was flagged off from Mumbai on 02 April 2026 by MoS, Ministry of Defence, Sanjay Seth.
