The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron arrived in Sri Lanka on 26 October 2026 for a three-day goodwill visit scheduled to conclude on 28 October. The squadron comprises Indian Naval Ships Tir and Sujata, and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi. The visit forms part of a long-range training deployment across the Indian Ocean region.
Squadron and Port Call
Captain Tijo K Joseph is the Senior Officer of the First Training Squadron and the Commanding Officer of INS Tir. Five Sri Lanka Navy officer trainees are participating in the long-range deployment. The Indian Coast Guard, which operates alongside the Indian Navy in maritime security and search-and-rescue duties, is represented in the squadron by ICGS Sarathi. Before arriving in Sri Lanka, the squadron called at Port Victoria in Seychelles from 12 to 15 October and Malé in the Maldives on 21 October 2026. The Sri Lanka visit is intended to strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation through professional and training engagements.
Training Deployment and Engagements
Officer cadets from the Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy are scheduled to take part in professional, training and sporting interactions. The programme includes cross-visits to the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. A joint band performance by the two navies is scheduled at Galle Face Green in Colombo on 27 October. The Naval and Maritime Academy is a Sri Lanka Navy training institution located in Trincomalee. The participation of Sri Lankan officer trainees in the Indian squadron’s deployment forms part of the exchange of naval training activities between the two countries.
India–Sri Lanka Naval Cooperation
The Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy held SLINEX-26, the 13th edition of their bilateral maritime exercise, off Visakhapatnam from 17 to 21 September 2026. The exercise included coordinated manoeuvres and air operations. Separately, INS Sharda concluded a port call in Colombo on 13 June 2026, with professional, training and sporting engagements and capacity-building initiatives for Sri Lanka Navy personnel.
Important Facts for Exams
:
- INS Tir is one of the Indian Navy vessels included in the First Training Squadron.
- Trincomalee is a port city on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast.
- SLINEX is a bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy.
- Port Victoria is the capital’s port in Seychelles, while Malé is the capital of the Maldives.
The squadron’s Sri Lanka port call is scheduled to run from 26 to 28 October 2026. SLINEX-26 took place off Visakhapatnam from 17 to 21 September 2026.
