Indian Navy's First Training Squadron Departs Colombo

Three ships of the First Training Squadron (1TS) of the Indian Navy sailed out of Colombo on 29 October 2026, closing a port call that the Ministry of Defence called a success. The squadron is made up of INS Tir, INS Sujata and the Coast Guard ship ICGS Sarathi. The visit was built around bilateral activity with the Sri Lanka Navy, and was meant to deepen defence cooperation and the maritime partnership of the two neighbours.

Calls and professional exchanges

While the ships lay alongside at Colombo, the Senior Officer of the squadron went with the commanding officers of the three ships to meet the Commander of the Western Naval Area of the Sri Lanka Navy. Both sides used the meeting to restate how close the bilateral relationship is and how far they wish to carry cooperation at sea. Sea trainees aboard the squadron travelled to the Naval and Maritime Academy at Trincomalee and spent time with Sri Lankan trainees of their own age and rank. Cadets of that academy came the other way and were shown the training set-up carried on board the Indian ships. The two groups swapped notes on how each navy prepares its young officers for sea duty.

Outreach ashore

Sailors and officers of the Indian Navy joined a beach clean-up during the stay, a community activity meant to carry a message about looking after the coastal environment. The ships were also thrown open to visitors, among them local residents and members of the Indian diaspora in Sri Lanka, who met the crew and saw at first hand how the squadron trains and works.

A PASSEX on the way out

As the squadron left harbour it carried out a Passage Exercise, usually shortened to PASSEX, with the Sri Lankan ship SLNS Nandimithra. The ships manoeuvred together at sea, a drill the two navies use to sharpen coordination and to test how well their crews and equipment work side by side. The deployment sits within the Indian vision of MAHASAGAR, short for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and both sides repeated their commitment to maritime cooperation and capacity building in the region.