{"id":105542,"date":"2026-03-22T17:11:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/?p=66075"},"modified":"2026-03-22T17:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:41:27","slug":"friendship-in-the-indian-ocean-ins-trikand-wraps-up-seychelles-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/2026\/03\/22\/friendship-in-the-indian-ocean-ins-trikand-wraps-up-seychelles-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Friendship in the Indian Ocean: INS Trikand Wraps Up Seychelles Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Indian Navy\u2019s stealth frigate, INS Trikand<\/b>, officially departed Port Victoria on March 20, 2026<\/b>, following a highly successful and “enriching” port call. While the ship has visited the archipelago before, this particular mission was groundbreaking: it marked the maiden participation<\/b> of the Indian Navy in Exercise Lamitiye<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Named after the Creole word for “Friendship,” the 2026 edition of Lamitiye evolved into a full-scale tri-services exercise<\/b>, bringing together the Army, Navy, and Air Force from both India and the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF).<\/p>\n

Key Highlights of the Mission<\/b><\/h2>\n
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    Tactical Drills:<\/b> The exercise featured intense Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS<\/b>) operations. Indian Navy MARCOs<\/b> (Marine Commandos) worked alongside SDF Special Forces to secure vessels at sea.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Amphibious Success:<\/b> The mission culminated in a joint landing of Indian and Seychelles Army troops on Praslin Island<\/b>, demonstrating seamless coordination between sea-based insertion and land-based operations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Support & Logistics:<\/b> Beyond the drills, Captain Sachin Kulkarni oversaw the delivery of critical spares and essential stores<\/b> to the Seychelles Government, reinforcing India\u2019s role as a reliable partner.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    The MAHASAGAR Vision:<\/b> This visit was a practical application of India’s MAHASAGAR<\/b> (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Region<\/i>) initiative, positioning the Indian Navy as the “First Responder” in the region.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Why It Matters<\/b><\/h2>\n

    The 2026 drills highlight a strategic shift toward a multidimensional partnership<\/b>. As the Indian Ocean becomes increasingly central to global trade, the “friendship” between New Delhi and Victoria ensures that the region remains secure, stable, and collaborative.<\/p>\n

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    Quote of the Mission:<\/b> “The port call reinforces the Indian Navy\u2019s commitment to remain the Preferred Security Partner and First Responder in the Indian Ocean Region.”<\/i> \u2014 Ministry of Defence Statement.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Indian Navy\u2019s stealth frigate, INS Trikand, officially departed Port Victoria on March 20, 2026, following a highly successful and “enriching” port call. While the ship has visited the archipelago before, this particular mission was groundbreaking: it marked the maiden participation of the Indian Navy in Exercise Lamitiye. Named after the Creole word for “Friendship,” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":66076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55705],"tags":[27107,55707],"class_list":["post-105542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international","tag-indian-navy","tag-maritime-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}