KOCHI: Young Samaira was bubbling with joy as she saw her father disembarking from the INS Sunayna at Kochi Naval Base on Wednesday. Commander Sidharth Chaudhary was also eagerly waiting for the meeting as he could not celebrate the first birthday of his little angel.
“We were planning to celebrate the first birthday of my daughter in a big way. But I was on deployment on May 9 and I was eagerly waiting to meet my daughter,” said Sidharth Chaudhary, commanding officer of INS Sunayna, which returned to Kochi after traversing the Indian Ocean covering 8,120 nautical miles and seven ports of call.
INS Sunayna was officially flagged off as part of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar mission by the Ministry of Defence to promote maritime cooperation and collective security. The multinational deployment across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) had 38 crew members from 16 partner nations on board, which demonstrated India’s emergence as the preferred security partner in the region and its enduring commitment towards strengthening maritime collaboration and interoperability.
The deployment, jointly undertaken by the Indian Navy and partner nations represented one of the most comprehensive multinational operational engagements conducted in the region. Sailors and officers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Maldives Mozambique, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, and the UAE were part of the mission.
Welcoming the team, Southern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena said it was an extraordinaryvoyage which showcased India’s maritime vision, goodwill and cooperative spirit. “The team comprising officers and sailors from 16 nations displayed exemplary professionalism, dedication and resilience.
The expedition truly reflected the spirit of partnership and collective progress which will strengthen the cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. The mission has served the message of friendship, trust, inclusivity and shared maritime responsibility among the participating nations,” he said.
On arrival at Kochi harbour, INS Sunayna was received with water salute and ceremonially escorted by Naval Fast Interceptor craft. INS Sunayna’s mission was flagged off on April 2, 2026, by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth. During the deployment, INS Sunayna undertook port calls at Malé, Phuket, Jakarta, Singapore, Yangon, Chattogram and Colombo.
“The deployment featured a wide spectrum of collaborative engagements including passage exercises, cross-deck interactions, expert exchanges, coordinated seamanship evolutions, maritime security discussions and professional interactions with partner navies and maritime agencies. These engagements reinforced shared commitment towards maintaining maritime safety, security and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean Region,” said Commandar Sidharth Chaudhary.
Prior to the deployment, the multinational crew underwent comprehensive harbour training at Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi, covering seamanship, navigation, firefighting, damage control, communication procedures, VBSS operations and advanced bridgemanship.
The crew also participated in the IONS Maritime Exercise IMEX 2026 Table Top Exercise at Kochi, further enhancing professional interoperability and operational preparedness.
The successful completion of INS Sunayna’s mission marks a defining milestone in India’s maritime outreach and regional engagement initiatives, reaffirming Indian Navy’s continued commitment towards building trusted partnerships, enhancing collective maritime capability and promoting cooperative security across the Indian Ocean Region.