Indian Naval Ship Airavat entered Port Sudan as part of ‘Mission Sagar-II’. The Government of India provided assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries to overcome natural calamities and COVID-19 pandemic, and towards the same INS Airavat is carrying a consignment of 100 Tonnes of food aid for the people of Sudan.
Mission Sagar-II, follows the first ‘Mission Sagar’ undertaken in May-June 2020, wherein India reached out to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, and provided food aid and medicines.
As part of Mission Sagar-II, Indian Naval Ship Airavat will deliver food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.
Mission Sagar-II, is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region ‘SAGAR’ and highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with her maritime neighbours and further strengthens the existing bond.
The Indian Navy is progressing this mission in close coordination with the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.
Earlier, India had sent Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari, carrying food items and medical assistance teams, to countries in the southern Indian Ocean to deal with Covid-19 pandemic as part of a "Mission Sagar" initiative.
The strategic significance of island nations is often attributed to their location along key SLOCs or shipping lanes. These inter-island links act as arteries for international trade, connecting landlocked nations to external markets and the ocean basins to which they belong.
Located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, these island nations are of major geostrategic importance. They play a central role in regional security and prosperity especially in view of the increasing dependence of world trade on the Indian Ocean SLOCs for petroleum and other resources.
These islands are vital and can facilitate a navy’s continuous presence along key international shipping routes, allowing a navy to patrol and secure SLOCs during peace times and an option to interdict and cut off an adversary’s communications during times of conflict.
The islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands also serve as a rich tourism spot for the country these islands are further enriched with varieties of of relief and climatic conditions .
Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is India's policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region which was launched in 2015.
As part of SAGAR the Indian Navy has assisted countries in the Indian Ocean region with exclusive economic zone surveillance, search and rescue, and other such activities.
Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities.
Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests and ensure Indian Ocean region to become inclusive, collaborative and respect international law.
