INS Trishul Arrives at Civitavecchia Port in Italy

The Indian Naval Ship Trishul arrived at Civitavecchia, a port on Italy's western coast, on 25 October 2026. The visit comes in the course of the warship's continuing operational deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, the stretch of water through which much of Europe's trade with Asia passes.

Exercise with the Italian Navy

Before entering harbour the ship carried out a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Italian Naval Ship Carlo Margottini. A Passage Exercise is the kind of drill two navies hold when their ships happen to be in the same waters, and it needs little advance planning, which is why it is used so often to test whether two fleets can work together at short notice.

What the two navies practised

The exercise ran through a set of practical skills rather than weapon firings.

• Coordinated manoeuvring drills, in which the two ships hold formation and change course together.
• Communication procedures, so that signals pass correctly between crews using different systems.
• Replenishment approaches, the ship-handling needed to take on fuel or stores at sea.
• Cross-deck landings, where a helicopter from one ship lands on the other.
• Personnel transfers between the two vessels.
• Boarding operations, of the sort used in maritime policing and anti-piracy work.

The drill let the two sides exchange best practices and sharpened the operational synergy between them.

During the port call

Professional interactions, cultural visits and exchanges have been scheduled while the ship is in harbour. Trishul will also be thrown open to visitors, which gives the Italian public a look at the Indian Navy's maritime traditions and its capabilities at first hand.

Why the visit matters

Port calls of this kind are a routine instrument of naval diplomacy, and this one underlines the lasting maritime partnership between India and Italy. The Ministry of Defence said the visit reflects the commitment of both navies to strengthening professional links and operational cooperation. For an aspirant the points worth fixing are the ship's name, the port, the country, the sea in which it is deployed, and the name of the Italian vessel it exercised with.