Exercise AIKEYME: INS Sunayna enters Port Of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania

"The ship had sailed from Karwar, Karnataka, on April 5 with 44 naval personnel from nine Friendly Foreign Nations (FFNs) of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), embarked as part of the ship's crew," read a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

The FFN include Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

"IOS SAGAR was accorded a warm welcome by RAdm AR Hassan, Chief of Tanzania Navy, Rear Admiral Nirbhay Bapna, ACNS (FCI) and Commodore Agyapal Singh, Defence Attaché for Tanzania, alongside dignitaries from the Indian High Commission and Tanzania People Defence Force," the statement said.

During this port call, the ship will also participate in the harbour phase of Exercise AIKEYME, a key naval exercise which will be inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on April 13.

Exercise

The Ministry of Defence said the exercise will focus on enhancing operational coordination, refining joint strategies and improving interoperability in maritime operations.

Two of the Indian Navy ships, INS Chennai (Destroyer) and INS Kesari [Landing Ship Tank (Large)], will also be participating in the exercise alongside INS Sunayna.

The participation of personnel from FFNs onboard INS Sunayna further underscores the significance of this initiative in promoting global maritime cooperation.

Martime Security

Through such exercises and engagements, the Indian Navy remains committed to advancing collective maritime security, fostering goodwill and ensuring the free and safe movement of shipping lanes in the region.

The ship will depart Dar-es-Salaam on April 15 for the next port of call, Nacala, Mozambique, to continue with IOS SAGAR mission.

AIKEYME

The inaugural edition of the large-scale multilateral exercise Africa India Key Maritime Engagement, AIKEYME, which means ‘Unity’ in Sanskrit, is planned for six days from April 13 to April 18 and will include participation from Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa, alongside the co-hosts India and Tanzania.

This initiative aligns with the vision of the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, promoting Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR).

The Indian Naval Ships INS Chennai (destroyer) and INS Kesari [Landing Ship Tank (Large)] arrived in Dar-es-Salaam on 10th and 11th Apr 25 respectively, and the inauguration ceremony of AIKEYME will be co-hosted onboard, along with the Tanzanian Peoples' Defence Force (TPDF). The ships were welcomed by DA Tanzania and Liaison team. A Ceremonial Guard was also paraded onboard INS Chennai with TPDF and Indian Navy band playing in unison the National Anthems of respective countries.

The harbour phase for AIKEYME 25 will include an inauguration ceremony and a deck reception with the Honorable Minister of State for Defence, Shri Sanjay Seth and Defence Minister, Tanzania as Chief Guests.

AIKEYME aims to develop collaborative solutions to common regional maritime challenges. This maiden initiative by the Indian Navy seeks to enhance interoperability and synergise combined operations among the maritime forces of partner nations. It also highlights the strong and friendly relations between India and the African nations.