Combined Maritime Forces

Why is in news? Indian Navy's Maiden Participation in Combined Maritime Forces Exercise

INS Sunayna entered Port Victoria Seychelles on 24 Sep 22 to participate in the annual training exercise Operation Southern Readiness of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The ship is scheduled to participate as associate partner in the capacity building exercises being conducted by CMF.

The world’s largest multinational naval partnership, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), launched a two-week mission in the Indian Ocean island nation of the Seychelles with other international organizations to strengthen regional collaboration and enhance operational readiness.

The joint training exercise is being attended by representative delegations from USA, Italy, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and ship participation from UK, Spain & India.

CMF is leading Operation Southern Readiness in partnership with the Seychelles People’s Defence Force, European Union Naval Force, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and India which began partnering with CMF earlier this year 2022.

CMF consists of 34 member nations whose forces operate in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.

CMF nations are united in upholding international rules-based order to protect the free flow of commerce, ensure regional maritime security and deter illicit activity by non-state actors.

INS Sunayna: INS Sunayna is the second Saryu-class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy, designed and constructed indigenously by the Goa Shipyard Limited.

It is designed to undertake fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of sea lines of communications and offshore assets and escort duties.

INS Sunayna will be deployed for anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

In June 2018 she was deployed to Yemen's Socotra island as part of "Operation Nistar", an HADR mission to evacuate around 38 stranded Indian nationals in/around Socotra, after a cyclone hit the area.

INS Sunaya, along with INS Chennai was sent to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in June 2019 to protect Indian shipping interests amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.