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First Training Squadron leaves Seychelles after training drills, PASSEX and medical camp

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The First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy left Port Victoria in Seychelles on 15 October 2026 after a four-day port call, the Ministry of Defence said. The squadron’s ships, INS Tir, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, had arrived on 12 October as part of their ongoing training deployment. The ministry said the visit strengthened the long India-Seychelles partnership through training, capacity building and meetings with the island nation’s leadership and maritime community. All India Radio’s news service also reported the departure.

First Training Squadron: Indian Navy personnel with Seychelles Defence Force members during the Port Victoria port call
Indian Navy personnel with Seychelles Defence Force members during the Port Victoria port call Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

What the First Training Squadron did in Port Victoria

During the stay, the Senior Officer of the squadron and the commanding officers of the three ships called on Major General Michael Rosette, Chief of Defence Forces of the Seychelles Defence Force. The ministry said their talks focused on the partnership and on cooperation between the two forces. The programme included professional activities and cross-training visits. Indian sailors also ran firefighting and small-arms training for Seychelles Defence Force personnel. These sessions let the visiting crews share skills with a smaller partner force while their own trainees learned how a port visit abroad is managed.

Key Facts

  • Port call: 12-15 Oct 2026, Port Victoria
  • Ships: INS Tir, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi
  • Met: Maj Gen Michael Rosette, Chief of Defence Forces, SDF
  • PASSEX with: Seychelles Coast Guard Ship Andromache
  • Outreach: medical camp, Point La Rue elderly home, Navy Band

PASSEX with Seychelles Coast Guard ship Andromache

Before leaving, the squadron carried out a Passage Exercise, or PASSEX, with the Seychelles Coast Guard Ship Andromache. The ministry said it featured joint patrolling, communication drills and coordinated manoeuvres. Ashore, the visit had a strong community side: a medical camp, the distribution of essential supplies at the Point La Rue elderly home, a visit by schoolchildren to the ships, and a musical performance by the Indian Navy Band. The First Training Squadron trains young officers at sea. An earlier ministry release, from January 2026, said its deployments give officer trainees operational and cross-cultural exposure, and that the course then under way included international trainees as well as Army and Air Force personnel.

The Indian Navy Band performs during the visit to Seychelles
The Indian Navy Band performs during the visit to Seychelles Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

How the visit fits MAHASAGAR

The ministry said the deployment showed the strong friendship between India and Seychelles and the Indian Navy’s commitment to capacity building and regional partnerships in line with MAHASAGAR, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. Seychelles sits on busy sea lanes in the western Indian Ocean. For the trainees on board, the port call was a lesson in naval diplomacy as much as seamanship. The port call began on 12 October as part of the squadron’s ongoing training deployment, and the ministry said it reinforced the longstanding India-Seychelles partnership through professional training, capacity building and contact with the country’s leadership and maritime community.

Why It Matters: Training visits like this build working ties with island partners in the Indian Ocean and give future naval officers hands-on experience abroad.

Also on TrendDesh: INS Samarthak to be commissioned at Karwar on 16 October as Navy's first multi-purpose vessel · Combined Task Force 154: Indian Navy ends its first CMF command in Bahrain after 7,800 training hours

Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence), 17 Oct 2026 · Akashvani News · PIB (Ministry of Defence), Jan 2026 background

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