Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet Ships Udaygiri and Kavaratti Depart Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

📌 Summary:

• INS Udaygiri and INS Kavaratti (Eastern Fleet, under Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet RAdm Alok Ananda) departed Ho Chi Minh City on 24 Jun 2026 after a port call, for further deployment in South East Asia
• FOCEF met Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Vietnam People's Navy leaders; discussed maritime cooperation and regional maritime security, and conducted bilateral exercises and a joint yoga session (12th International Day of Yoga)
• India and Vietnam share an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; the visit reaffirms India's Act East Policy and the MAHASAGAR vision
• The deployment demonstrates India's naval diplomacy and constructive maritime engagement in the Indo-Pacific

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 IR (Act East Policy, India-Vietnam strategic partnership, Indo-Pacific) and GS3 (maritime security) — naval diplomacy and regional security architecture.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• INS Udaygiri (Project 17A stealth frigate) and INS Kavaratti (Project 28 anti-submarine warfare corvette)
• MAHASAGAR = Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (an evolution of the SAGAR doctrine)
• India-Vietnam relationship: Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
• Eastern Fleet is led by the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF)

🔑 Key Term: MAHASAGAR — India's maritime vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), an evolution of the SAGAR doctrine for Indo-Pacific cooperation.