Source: Press Information Bureau
India launched expedition SAGAR MAITRI 2 in its bid to enhancing research and strengthening relationships with important South-East Asian countries. The Ministry of Defence has mentioned that INS Sagardhwani, a Marine Acoustic Research Ship (MARS) of the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi and operated by the Indian Navy has set sail from Kochi for a two-month-long scientific mission called ‘Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative (MAITRI)
Key highlights
- SAGAR MAITRI Mission-2 commemorates the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of India’s lone research ship INS Kistna’s missions as part of the historic International Indian Ocean Expeditions(IIOE), which took place during 1962-65.
- As part of the mission, INS Sagardhwani will revisit the selected tracks of INS Kistna and provide NPOL scientists ample opportunities to collaborate and garner a close working relationship with the oceanographic counterparts of the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries.
- The mission by the Indian Navy and NPOL is a step towards enhancing this research and strengthening relationships with South East Asian countries and is, therefore, being termed as SAGAR MAITRI.
About SAGAR MAITRI
- SAGAR MAITRI is a unique initiative of DRDO which aligns with the broad objective of Prime Minister’s policy declaration “Safety And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)” to promote closer co-operation in socio-economic aspects as well as greater scientific interaction especially in ocean research among Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries.
- Under the aegis of PM’s policy, specific scientific component of DRDO is “MAITRI (Marine & Allied Interdisciplinary Training and Research Initiative)”.
- The prime objectives of the SAGAR MAITRI Mission are data collection from the entire North Indian Ocean, focussing on the Andaman Sea and adjoining seas and establishing long-term collaboration with eight IOR countries in the field of ocean research and development.
- The programme also aims at establishing long term scientific collaboration with these countries in the field of ‘Ocean Research & Development’ and data collection with a focus in the Andaman Sea.
- The other IOR countries, includes Oman, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Myanmar.
- First Sagar Maitri mission was held in April 2019, when the ship visited Yangon, Myanmar.
- The Indian Navy and NPOL have been jointly working in the field of Research & Development of Sonar Systems, technologies for underwater surveillance and study of the ocean environment and underwater materials.
- NPOL is continuously striving to enhance the performance of underwater sensors by undertaking research in underwater acoustics and physical oceanographic conditions through its platform INS Sagardhwani which is fitted with state of the art equipment, including newly fitted wave height measuring radar for this purpose.
About INS Sagarwani
- INS Sagardhwani has been designed and developed by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, a premier systems laboratory of DRDO.
- It conducts ocean research experiments in the Indian waters and spearheads NPOL’s at-sea data collection activities.
- Indigenously built INS Sagardhwani was on 30 Jul 1994 will also be celebrating its Silver Jubilee.
