KOCHI: Indian Navy’s Marine and Acoustic Research Ship INS Sagardhwani set sail from Kochi on a scientific mission named ‘Marine and Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative’ (MAITRI) on Thursday.
The ship owned by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), was jointly flagged off by Southern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral A K Chawla and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman G Satheesh Reddy from Kochi Naval Base at noon.
The ship’s mission has been conceptualised by DRDO in consonance with the Prime Minister’s vision of promoting closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects, as well as greater scientific interaction, especially in ocean research, among Indian Ocean Region (IOR) countries.
The mission, ‘Sagar Maitri’, is a step towards enhancing the research and strengthening relationship with Southeast Asian countries.
The prime objectives of the mission are data collection from the entire North Indian Ocean, focusing on the Andaman Sea and adjoining seas and establishing long-term collaboration with eight IOR countries in the field of ‘Ocean Research and Development’.
INS Sagardhwani, built indigenously by GRSE Ltd, Kolkata, was commissioned on July 30, 1994.