INS Sudarshini returned to Kochi on 2 November after a ten-month sailing expedition of more than 22,000 nautical miles, completing Lokayan 26 with a water cannon salute and a welcome by the Naval Band.
The Navy said the voyage, flagged off from Kochi on 20 January 2026, took the sail training ship to 17 port calls in 11 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa and North America, with two transatlantic crossings. Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, presided over the ceremony and praised the crew's "exemplary perseverance, professionalism, resilience and devotion to duty".
Highlights
- The 2,200-nautical-mile transatlantic passage took 19 days and was the longest distance the ship has covered entirely under sail, the Navy said.
- The ship took part in the Escale à Sète maritime heritage festival in France, and in SAIL 250 and the International Naval Review in the United States.
- The crew held training exchanges with the Royal Moroccan, Portuguese, Italian, Egyptian and Spanish navies.
Training at sea
The Navy said young officer trainees gained hands-on experience in ocean navigation, watchkeeping, sail handling, rigging and weather assessment. It described the voyage as reflecting India's MAHASAGAR maritime vision.
Photos
Source: official release by the Ministry of Defence, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (02 NOV 2026 6:10PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: INDIAN NAVY WELCOMES INS SUDARSHINI ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF LOKAYAN 26.
How we verified this
VerifiedEvery fact, figure and quotation is taken from the official PIB release (Release ID 2331798) issued by the Ministry of Defence on 02 NOV 2026 6:10PM by PIB Delhi; checked against the source on publication. Story written by BDT from that release; no outside facts added.
Sources
- 1.INDIAN NAVY WELCOMES INS SUDARSHINI ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF LOKAYAN 26 — Press Information Bureau, Government of India
