INS Mysore Ends Exercise Samudra Laksamana in Malaysia

The correct answer is Malaysia. Exercise Samudra Laksamana is conducted between the Indian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy, and its fourth edition was held at Lumut in Malaysia from 9 to 12 September 2026 with INS Mysore taking part as part of an operational deployment. The three distractors are all Southeast Asian maritime neighbours with which India holds its own naval engagements, which is exactly why they are placed here. Option A is wrong because India's bilateral naval activity with Indonesia is a separate arrangement and is not the one described in this release. Option C is wrong for the same reason, as is option D. The clue lies in the name itself: Laksamana is a Malay word for admiral, and pairing the name with Malaysia is the quickest way to remember the exercise. Note also that the release links this edition to the 12th India-Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting held on 1 July 2026.

The correct answer is INS Mysore. The ship was deployed as part of the Indian Navy's operational deployment and took part in the fourth edition of the exercise at Lumut in Malaysia. During the operational phase at sea it exercised with two ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy, KD Lekir and KD Gagah Samudera, and the ships carried out coordinated manoeuvres meant to improve interoperability and operational coordination. Option A is wrong because the aircraft carrier was not named in this release. Option C is wrong because that ship did not feature in this engagement, though ships of its class are regularly deployed for such exercises. Option D is wrong on the same ground. Candidates should pair the ship with the exercise and with the venue, since examiners often frame the question the other way round and ask which exercise INS Mysore was deployed for.

The correct answer is that the exercise had a harbour phase and an operational phase at sea. In the harbour phase the personnel of the two navies held professional exchanges and interactions, which let them share experience and build mutual understanding. The engagement then moved to sea, where INS Mysore exercised with the Royal Malaysian Navy ships KD Lekir and KD Gagah Samudera and the ships undertook coordinated manoeuvres. Option A is wrong precisely because the harbour phase came first and is described in some detail. Option C is wrong because Samudra Laksamana is a bilateral exercise between India and Malaysia, not a gathering of several navies. Option D is wrong because the venue was Lumut in Malaysia and not an Indian port. The two phase structure, harbour followed by sea, is common to many of India's bilateral naval exercises and is worth remembering as a pattern.