INS Sudarshini departs Lisbon after 15th port call on Lokayan 26 voyage
Synopsis
INS Sudarshini's three-day port call in Lisbon — its 15th in seven months — was more than a scheduled stop. High-level meetings with two Portuguese rear admirals, a training exchange at the Escola Naval, and an Independence Day ceremony at sea together illustrate how India is using the Lokayan 26 voyage as a quiet but deliberate instrument of naval diplomacy across the globe.
Key Takeaways
INS Sudarshini departed Lisbon, Portugal on 26 August 2026 after a three-day port call, its 15th stop in seven months on the Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition.
The Commanding Officer met Rear Admiral Miguel Bessa Pacheco and Rear Admiral Joao Paulo Silva Pereira of the Portuguese Navy, reinforcing bilateral naval ties.
Indian sea trainees visited the Escola Naval (Portuguese Naval Academy) for training exchanges and campus tours.
The ship previously called at Ponta Delgada, Azores , where it celebrated India's 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 with a full Colours ceremony.
A reciprocal deck reception was hosted aboard NRP Sagres , the Portuguese Navy's own sail training vessel, during the Azores stop.
INS Sudarshini, the Indian Navy's sail training ship, departed Lisbon, Portugal, on 26 August 2026 after completing a three-day port call — its 15th stop in seven months — as part of the ongoing Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition. The visit reinforced maritime ties between India and Portugal through high-level naval meetings, training exchanges, and cultural engagements.
High-Level Naval Meetings
The Commanding Officer of INS Sudarshini called on 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. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, the bilateral discussions reinforced institutional ties and mutual understanding between the two navies.
A deck reception onboard INS Sudarshini brought together senior Portuguese military officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and the Indian diaspora — underscoring the expedition's role as a vessel of both naval diplomacy and people-to-people connection.
Training Exchange at Portuguese Naval Academy
Sea trainees from the Indian Navy visited the Escola Naval (Portuguese Naval Academy), where they met their Portuguese counterparts, toured the historic campus and training facilities, and exchanged perspectives on seamanship and tall-ship sail training. The Ministry of Defence noted that these professional interactions have 'further strengthened maritime cooperation and partnership between the navies of India and Portugal.'
Earlier Stop at Ponta Delgada, Azores
INS Sudarshini arrived in Lisbon on 22 August 2026 after concluding a port call at Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel Island — the capital of the Azores archipelago — on 16 August 2026. At Ponta Delgada, the ship hosted a formal deck reception aboard the Portuguese Navy's sail training vessel, NRP Sagres, followed by a reciprocal reception onboard INS Sudarshini for local military leadership, diplomats, and members of the Indian diaspora.
Notably, the ship celebrated India's 80th Independence Day at Ponta Delgada on 15 August 2026. The vessel was dressed overall and a Colours ceremony was held to mark the occasion, according to the Ministry of Defence statement.
Lokayan 26: India's Maritime Outreach in Motion
The Lokayan 26 expedition is a transoceanic voyage designed to project India's naval presence and foster maritime partnerships across the globe. With 15 port calls completed in seven months, the expedition has visited multiple nations, carrying what the Ministry of Defence describes as 'the message of friendship, maritime cooperation and camaraderie.' The visits to both Ponta Delgada and Lisbon mark the Portuguese chapter of this ambitious outreach. India and Portugal share longstanding maritime history, and engagements such as these serve to modernise and institutionalise that relationship within a contemporary naval framework.
Point of View
But its strategic logic is clear: 15 port calls in seven months is a sustained pace of naval engagement that few countries match. India is using a sail training ship — traditionally a platform for cadets — as a dual-purpose diplomatic tool, building institutional familiarity with foreign navies at the officer-cadet level where long-term alliances are actually forged. The India-Portugal maritime relationship is historically deep but institutionally underutilised; meetings at the level of rear admirals and exchanges at the Escola Naval are precisely the kind of low-friction, high-continuity engagements that outlast political cycles. The question is whether the Ministry of Defence will build on these port calls with formal bilateral frameworks, or whether Lokayan 26 remains a goodwill tour without a structural follow-through.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lokayan 26 expedition?
Lokayan 26 is an ongoing transoceanic expedition by the Indian Navy's sail training ship INS Sudarshini, designed to foster maritime partnerships and project India's naval presence globally. The ship has completed 15 port calls across multiple countries in seven months.
Why did INS Sudarshini visit Lisbon?
INS Sudarshini visited Lisbon as part of the Lokayan 26 transoceanic voyage, conducting a three-day port call from 22 to 26 August 2026. The visit included high-level naval meetings, training exchanges at the Portuguese Naval Academy, and a deck reception for diplomats and the Indian diaspora.
Who did the INS Sudarshini Commanding Officer meet in Portugal?
The Commanding Officer met 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, to reinforce institutional ties between the two navies.
What happened during INS Sudarshini's stop at Ponta Delgada?
At Ponta Delgada in the Azores, INS Sudarshini hosted and attended reciprocal deck receptions with the Portuguese Navy's NRP Sagres. The ship also celebrated India's 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 with a Colours ceremony and was dressed overall for the occasion.
How many port calls has INS Sudarshini completed on Lokayan 26?
INS Sudarshini has completed 15 port calls in seven months as part of the Lokayan 26 expedition. The Lisbon stop, concluded on 26 August 2026, is the most recent, following an earlier call at Ponta Delgada in the Azores.
