IOS SAGAR Visits Jakarta to Strengthen Maritime Cooperation

The Indian Navy’s indigenous offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna has arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, following a port call in Phuket, Thailand, as part of its ongoing mission under the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative to strengthen maritime cooperation across the Indian Ocean Region.

The vessel departed Phuket on April 18, 2026, after a four-day visit during which it engaged in professional exchanges with the Royal Thai Navy, including joint exercises focused on maritime domain awareness, search and rescue operations, and humanitarian assistance drills. The port call in Thailand underscored the growing defence ties between India and Thailand, particularly in safeguarding shared maritime interests in the Andaman Sea and the broader Eastern Indian Ocean.

INS Sunayna’s arrival in Jakarta on April 19, 2026, marks the next phase of its regional outreach. The ship is scheduled to conduct a series of engagements with the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut – TNI-AL), including subject matter expert exchanges, deck landing operations with helicopters, and coordinated patrols aimed at enhancing interoperability in monitoring illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, maritime trafficking, and disaster response scenarios.

Under the SAGAR doctrine, articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, India seeks to deepen security and economic cooperation with littoral states in the Indian Ocean Region through capacity building, humanitarian assistance, and collaborative maritime security efforts. Deployments like that of INS Sunayna are central to this strategy, reflecting India’s commitment to being a net security provider in the region while respecting the sovereignty and priorities of partner nations.

Indonesia, as the largest archipelagic state and a key player in Southeast Asia, holds strategic importance in India’s Indo-Pacific outreach. The two navies have a history of cooperation, including participation in biannual coordinated patrols (CORPAT) along their maritime boundary and joint participation in multilateral exercises such as MILAN and Komodo. The current visit by INS Sunayna builds on this foundation, offering opportunities to refine procedures and strengthen trust between the forces.

During its stay in Jakarta, the crew of INS Sunayna is also expected to engage in community outreach activities, including visits to local maritime institutions and interactions with Indonesian naval personnel’s families, reinforcing the people-to-people dimension of defence diplomacy.

The deployment of INS Sunayna highlights India’s sustained naval presence in the Eastern Indian Ocean and its efforts to promote a rules-based maritime order through cooperative engagement rather than unilateral assertion. As regional dynamics evolve amid increasing interest in maritime infrastructure and resource management, such visits serve to reinforce dialogue and mutual understanding among Indian Ocean littoral states.

INS Sunayna is expected to depart Jakarta in late April 2026, with its next port of call yet to be officially announced. The vessel continues its SAGAR mission, contributing to India’s broader objective of fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region through active maritime diplomacy.