Mission SAGAR: INS Airavat reaches Sattahip to deliver COVID relief materials to Thailand

Days after supplying COVID relief materials to Vietnam, the INS Airavat reached Sattahip, Thailand, on Friday. The Indian Navy vessels, as a part of the ongoing 'Mission SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region), has delivered oxygen concentrators based on the requirement projected by the Government of Thailand in its battle against the ongoing COVID pandemic. The ship ferried a total of 300 oxygen concentrators to the South East Asian Nation.

INS Airavat in deployment to supply COVID relief to friendly foreign countries

INS Airavat has been deployed by the Indian Navy to deliver COVID relief to friendly foreign nations in South East Asia who are battling the COVID pandemic under the aegis of Mission SAGAR initiated by the Govt. of India. In the current deployment, the ship has delivered COVID relief material to Indonesia and Vietnam before arriving in Thailand.

INS Airavat was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata at Yard 2016. She began sea trials in July 2008 after completing basin trials in May. She was commissioned at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on May 19, 2009, by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta.

She is named after the mount of God Indra, elephant Airavata, as mentioned in the Rigveda. The ship is indigenously designed and built to induct military vehicles and cargo onto the adversary shores. Thus, she has been a platform of choice for Mission SAGAR. The ship has taken an active part in the nation’s effort to combat COVID since April 2021.

India's 'Mission SAGAR'

It is worth mentioning here that 'Mission SAGAR' was launched by the Indian government on May 10. The aim was to deliver COVID-19 related assistance to the countries in the Indian Ocean region. It is also being seen as a major milestone in engagement with the countries in the region to fight the menace of COVID-19. It should be mentioned here that INS Airavat is on a deployment to South East Asia for trans-shipment of relief materials.

As per the continuing programme, the Indian Navy has been carrying out numerous philanthropic missions to help nations in their battle against the lethal pandemic. The Indian Navy's missions span the entire extent of the Indian Ocean, including South East Asia and East Africa.

Sharing a strong traditional bond of friendship, India and Vietnam have been proactively engaged together towards a safer maritime domain. Apart from cooperating in various areas, both Navies regularly carry out joint naval exercises in the form of bilateral exercises. According to ANI, their area of cooperation includes training programmes in the fields of submarine, aviation and technical training.