Indian Navy’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini departed Lisbon on August 25 after a three-day port call as part of its ongoing Lokayan 2026 transoceanic expedition, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Wednesday.
During the visit, the Commanding Officer of INS Sudarshini held meetings with Rear Admiral Miguel Bessa Pacheco, Commandant of the Portuguese Naval Academy, and Rear Admiral Joao Paulo Silva Pereira, Deputy Fleet Commander of the Portuguese Navy.
The engagements focused on strengthening institutional ties and enhancing mutual understanding between the Indian and Portuguese navies.
As part of the professional interactions, Indian Navy sea trainees visited the Portuguese Naval Academy (Escola Naval), where they interacted with their Portuguese counterparts and toured the academy’s historic campus and training facilities. The trainees also exchanged views on seamanship and tall-ship sailing and training.
The port call also included a deck reception aboard INS Sudarshini, attended by senior Portuguese military officials, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the Indian diaspora.
The Navy said the ship’s visits to the Portuguese ports of Ponta Delgada and Lisbon reflect the longstanding maritime cooperation and partnership between India and Portugal.
INS Sudarshini’s Lokayan 2026 voyage is aimed at providing naval trainees with practical exposure to ocean sailing, seamanship and life at sea, while also strengthening maritime ties with partner countries through port engagements.
