INS Sumedha has successfully completed a 31-day anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) during its "Extended Range Operational Deployment" in the Atlantic Ocean along the west coast of Africa. This was the second such patrol undertaken by the Navy in the crucial maritime region, which is an important source of India's energy requirements. 


The mission holds importance as the Gulf of Guinea, which has vast reserves of hydrocarbon and minerals, has been plagued by acts of piracy, making it one of the most dangerous martime space in the world.


The maiden anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Guinea was undertaken by INS Tarkash in September-October 2022. Besides anti-piracy patrol, INS Sumedha's deployment also bolstered navy-to-navy relations with countries of the region, including Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Angola, and Namibia. 



INS Sumedha during its deployment along Gulf of Guinea (Source: Navy)


"The deployment was also used to further the capability of the regional partners through joint training undertaken by the ships' crew reiterating India and Indian Navy's focus on helping our friends and the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One Family)," the Navy said in a statement. 


INS Sumedha also took part in the maiden India-EU joint exercise in the Gulf of Guinea in a bid to reinforce maritime security cooperation between the navies. The exercise took place after the EU-India Maritime Security Dialogue on October 5 in Brussels.


Ships from three EU member states -- Italian Navy Ship ITS Foscari, French Navy Ship FS Ventose, and Spanish Navy Ship Tornado -- also participated in the exercise that saw a series of tactical manoeuvers in international waters off the coast of Ghana.


Boarding exercise, flying exercise using helicopters embarked on French ship Ventose and INS Sumedha, and transfer of personnel between ships were among the drills practiced by the navies.


"This exercise was followed by a knowledge sharing session in Accra, Ghana which built on the joint experience at sea to improve operational know-how...These activities underlined the shared commitment of India and the EU to supporting coastal states and the Yaounde Architecture in ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea," a statement by the Ministry of Defence said.