Marking a milestone in regional maritime collaboration, INS Sagar Dhvani slipped its moorings at Kochi to spearhead SAGAR Maitri-5, India’s most extensive hydrographic outreach yet. The mission embodies the SAGAR vision of collective security and prosperity, targeting island nations pivotal to Indian Ocean dynamics.
Outfitted with autonomous underwater vehicles and GIS-integrated systems, the vessel is primed for precision seabed profiling. Naval authorities project it will generate petabytes of data, refining Admiralty charts used by 90% of global merchant traffic.
Flag Officer Commanding, Southern Naval Command, lauded the crew’s readiness: ‘This is precision diplomacy at sea—measuring depths to build bridges.’ Engagements will feature workshops on survey methodologies, empowering local capacities against natural calamities.
SAGAR Maitri’s track record speaks volumes: enhanced search-and-rescue grids and fisheries zoning from prior legs. Amid Houthi disruptions and monsoon unpredictability, timely updates from this mission could avert billions in losses.
INS Sagar Dhvani’s odyssey reinforces India’s soft power projection, contrasting coercive tactics elsewhere. As it plies azure routes, the world watches how data-driven goodwill can anchor enduring alliances in choppy strategic waters.