COLOMBO, Oct. 26, 2026 : The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday for a three-day goodwill visit aimed at strengthening bilateral maritime cooperation and professional ties between the two countries’ naval forces.
The visiting squadron comprises two Indian Navy warships and an Indian Coast Guard vessel, according to the Indian High Commission in Colombo. The stop is part of a long-range training deployment that includes visits to Port Victoria in Seychelles and Male in the Maldives before the squadron returns to its base port in Kochi.
The First Training Squadron provides initial sea training to officer trainees from the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign navies. It is commanded by Captain Tijo K Joseph, Senior Officer of the First Training Squadron and Commanding Officer of INS Tir.
Five officer trainees from the Sri Lanka Navy are also participating in the deployment, highlighting the close training partnership between the two maritime forces.
High-Level Naval Engagements
Sri Lanka Navy Director General Training Rear Admiral Rohan Joseph is scheduled to visit the vessels at Colombo Port and interact with their commanding officers, training officers and officer trainees.
Captain Tijo K Joseph and the commanding officers of the visiting vessels are also expected to call on Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Commander Western Naval Area of the Sri Lanka Navy Rear Admiral Harsha De Silva.
Training and Sporting Activities
During the visit, officer cadets will take part in professional exchanges, training programmes and sporting activities with their Sri Lankan counterparts.
The programme also includes reciprocal visits. Indian cadets are scheduled to visit the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee, while Sri Lankan naval cadets will tour the visiting Indian vessels.
INS Tarangini, another vessel associated with the First Training Squadron, visited Sri Lanka in March to provide ocean-sailing training and practical experience to Sri Lanka Navy officer trainees from the academy in Trincomalee.
The Indian mission said regular visits by Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels help deepen cooperation between the two countries’ maritime forces. The engagement is aligned with India’s Neighbourhood First policy and its vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, or MAHASAGAR.
