New Delhi: The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS), comprising INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi (an Indian Coast Guard vessel in 1TS), Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, on Monday. This comes at the backdrop of India and Mauritius jointly inaugurating a new airstrip and a jetty in Mauritius’s Agaléga Island, which were built by India.
Read also: Is India building a secret military base in Mauritius’s Agaléga?
This visit also coincides with 57th Mauritius National Day celebrations, which will be held on Tuesday. The president, Droupadi Murmu, will be the chief guest during the event. An Indian Navy helicopter and a marching contingent of the force’s personnel will participate in the Mauritius National Day city parade.
Before entering Port Louis, INS Tir (hull identification code A86), which is a training ship and the senior ship in the 1TS, undertook a joint exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surveillance with a Mauritian Coast Guard Dornier-228. The 1TS will take part in various training activities and cross-deck visits during its time in the Mauritian capital.
The training squadron’s visit to Port Louis served a multitude of purposes. It provided an enriching training experience for Navy personnel, deepened diplomatic ties between India and Mauritius, and reaffirmed the Navy’s role as a reliable maritime partner in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).