Indian Navy's First Training Squadron Visits Thailand | 28 Jan 2026

Source: PIB 

Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS) (INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Sujata, and ICGS Sarathi) docked at Phuket Deep Sea Port, marking a training deployment to Southeast Asia and underscoring the growing maritime partnership between India and Thailand aimed at regional security and stability. 

• Significance:  The visit gained added importance as 2026 marked the ASEAN–India Year of Maritime Cooperation, reinforcing India’s Act East and maritime diplomacy, and coincided with India assuming the Chair of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) from Thailand in February 2026. 
• Key Exercises & Engagements: The training deployment includes professional exchanges and a Passage Exercise (PASSEX).  
  • This builds on established bilateral initiatives like Ex Ayutthaya and the Indo–Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT), as well as the trilateral maritime exercise SITMEX (India–Thailand–Singapore). 
• Policy Alignment: The deployment aligns with India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. 
  • It reaffirms India’s role as a responsible maritime partner committed to security, stability, and cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).