Rapid Fire
INS Sagardhwani Flags Off for Sagar Maitri V
- 22 Jan 2026
- 2 min read
Recently, the Indian Navy flagged off INS Sagardhwani from the Southern Naval Command, Kochi, for the fifth edition of the Sagar Maitri (SM-5) mission.
Sagar Maitri Initiative
- About: Sagar Maitri (SM) is a joint programme of the Indian Navy and DRDO, aligned with India’s vision of MAHASAGAR – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
- Its scientific component, MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative), focuses on long-term joint research and capacity building with partner countries.
- Objectives: The initiative aims at the collection of oceanographic and acoustic data along designated observational tracks and at strengthening scientific cooperation among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries.
- It is central to DRDO’s efforts to enhance Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) for maritime security.
- SM-5 Mission: Under the SM-5 mission, INS Sagardhwani will retrace the historic routes of INS Kistna, which participated in the 1962–65 International Indian Ocean Expedition, thereby reviving collaborative ocean research.
- INS Sagardhwani: A marine acoustic research vessel designed by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory(NPOL), Kochi and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers(GRSE), Kolkata.
- Since its commissioning in July 1994, it has been India’s primary platform for long-term oceanographic observation and maritime research.
| Read more: SAGAR MAITRI - Drishti IAS |
