Context:
Recently, INS Sagardhwani, an oceanographic research vessel embarked on a two-month long Sagar Maitri (SM) Mission-4 from South Jetty, Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi.
Relevance:
GS III: Security Challenges
Dimensions of the Article:
- INS Sagardhwani
- Sagar Maitri Initiative
INS Sagardhwani:
- Origin: INS Sagardhwani is a marine acoustic research ship developed by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO, based in Kochi. It was constructed indigenously by GRSE Ltd.
- Launch Date: The ship was launched in July 1994, marking the beginning of its operational life.
- Mission: NPOL is actively engaged in studying the ocean environment and related fields. INS Sagardhwani serves as a vital platform for conducting extensive oceanic observing missions and research.
Sagar Maitri Initiative:
- DRDO’s Initiative: Sagar Maitri is an initiative by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India.
- Policy Objective: This initiative aligns with the broader objective of India’s policy declaration known as ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).’ It aims to foster closer cooperation in socio-economic aspects and promote more significant scientific interaction, particularly in ocean research, among the countries in the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR).
- MAITRI Component: Within the framework of the Sagar Maitri initiative, DRDO introduced a scientific component called ‘MAITRI’ (Marine and Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative). This component is dedicated to establishing long-term collaboration with IOR countries in the field of Ocean Research and Development.
- Mission Scope: The missions under Sagar Maitri focus on establishing sustained scientific partnerships and collaborations with eight IOR countries, including Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
- Current Mission (SM-4): The ongoing mission, SM-4, plans to involve scientific deployments onboard INS Sagardhwani in the Northern Arabian Sea. It also aims to initiate collaborative research programs with the Department of Marine Sciences & Fisheries at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.
