INS Sahyadri Ends India-South Korea Navy Drill at Busan

The Indian Navy frigate INS Sahyadri has completed her part in the India-Republic of Korea Navy bilateral exercise held at Busan in the Republic of Korea. The ship wound up the engagement on 29 October 2026. The Ministry of Defence said the exercise strengthened maritime cooperation between the two navies and improved both interoperability and mutual understanding between them.

How the exercise was run

The drill followed the familiar two-part pattern of Indian bilateral naval engagements. In the harbour phase, sailors and officers of the two navies met for professional discussions, cross-deck visits, operational briefings and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, which let each side explain how it works and share its best practices. Cultural programmes and sporting fixtures were held alongside, building personal ties between the crews.

The sea phase turned those discussions into work on the water. INS Sahyadri operated with the Korean warship ROKS Munmu the Great, and the two ships carried out coordinated navigation, helicopter operations and joint maritime manoeuvres. The Navy said the phase gave the crews a chance to practise coordination at sea and to learn each other's operating procedures, which is the practical content of interoperability.

Why it matters

• The exercise is part of a steady series of engagements through which India and the Republic of Korea are deepening maritime cooperation.
• Such deployments support the wider Indian aim of peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.
• Exercises of this kind also build mutual trust, which is what lets navies operate together at short notice during a crisis or a relief mission.

For aspirants, the pairing of ship names and the venue is the part most often asked. INS Sahyadri is an Indian Navy frigate deployed on such overseas missions, and the Korean vessel she worked with is named after a Korean ruler. Busan, where the ships met, is the principal port city of the Republic of Korea and hosts its naval activity on the southern coast.