New Delhi [India], January 18 (ANI): INS Sagardhwani, India's oceanographic research vessel under the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO, was flagged off for the fifth edition of the Sagar Maitri (SM-5) initiative from Southern Naval Command, Kochi, on Saturday, January 17.

The vessel was flagged off by Radha Mohan Singh, Member of Parliament and Chairperson, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.

Sagar Maitri is a flagship collaborative initiative of the Indian Navy and DRDO, aligned with the Government of India's vision of 'Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR)'. The initiative aims to promote closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects and greater scientific interaction, especially in ocean research, among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries.

The ceremony was done in the presence of Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO; RAdm Upal Kundu, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command; Dr R. V. Hara Prasad, Director General (Naval Systems & Materials); and Dr Duvvuri Seshagiri, Director, NPOL, along with senior officials from the Indian Navy and DRDO.

Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, has been conducting oceanographic missions under the Sagar Maitri programme to strengthen scientific cooperation and build capacity among IOR nations. Under the aegis of this programme, DRDO initiated a scientific component titled 'MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative)' to establish long-term collaboration with IOR countries in the field of ocean research and development.

According to the official release, under the Sagar Maitri programme, INS Sagardhwani will retrace the historic routes of INS Kistna, which participated in the International Indian Ocean Expedition during 1962-65. The initiative seeks to build sustained scientific collaboration with eight IOR countries, namely Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar. The ongoing mission marks the launch of collaborative oceanographic studies with the Maldives, enabling joint research and professional exchanges among scientists from IOR nations.

Sagar Maitri is the centrepiece of DRDO's efforts to achieve relevant Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) for the Indian Navy. During these missions, oceanographic and acoustic data of importance are collected along designated observational tracks by the DRDO research vessel INS Sagardhwani, aligned with planned scientific objectives relevant to UDA.

INS Sagardhwani is a specialised marine acoustic research vessel designed by NPOL and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE). Commissioned in Jul 1994, the ship has served as a key platform for ocean observations and marine research for over three decades, contributing significantly to India's maritime scientific capabilities. (ANI)