Indian Navy Launches IOS Sagar and AIKEYME to Strengthen Maritime Partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region

The Indian Navy has launched two major maiden initiatives—Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar and Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME)—as part of its broader strategic vision to reinforce its role as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ and ‘First Responder’ in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). These initiatives align with India’s vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR), focusing on regional maritime security cooperation.

Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar

• Under this initiative, INS Sunayna, an Offshore Patrol Vessel based at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, is deployed to the Southwest Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

• The deployment features a combined crew comprising personnel from India and nine Friendly Foreign Countries:

  • Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and South Africa

• Key activities include joint surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in partner nations to enhance maritime domain awareness and operational coordination.

Port Calls by INS Sunayna:

• Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

• Nacala, Mozambique

• Port Louis, Mauritius

• Port Victoria, Seychelles

• Male, Maldives

In addition to EEZ surveillance, participants in the IOS Sagar initiative will observe the harbour phase activities of the AIKEYME exercise in Dar-es-Salaam.

Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME)

• AIKEYME is a multilateral maritime exercise co-hosted by India and Tanzania, with its inaugural edition scheduled for April 2025 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

• The exercise will bring together 11 participating countries:

  • India, Tanzania, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa

Key Training Components:

• Anti-piracy operations

• Search and Rescue (SAR)

• Seamanship drills

• Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations

• Helicopter operations and coordination exercises

These combined activities are aimed at enhancing interoperability, building regional maritime capacity, and strengthening cooperative mechanisms to tackle common maritime threats.

The simultaneous execution of IOS Sagar and AIKEYME marks a significant step in India’s strategic maritime outreach, particularly towards the African coastline and island nations of the Indian Ocean. It underscores India’s commitment to collective maritime security and regional capacity-building through inclusive and collaborative naval engagements.