Raksha Mantri flags-in first-ever Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition
Nine women officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force completed a 314-day circumnavigation aboard IASV Triveni, highlighting tri-service jointness, maritime diplomacy and indigenous shipbuilding.
- The Ministry of Defence flagged in Samudra Pradakshina after the crew returned to Mumbai.
- IASV Triveni is described by the Ministry of Defence as an indigenously built sailing vessel used for the expedition.
- The voyage satisfied internationally recognised circumnavigation criteria through longitude crossings, Equator crossings, International Date Line crossing and rounding of the Three Great Capes.
The Ministry of Defence flagged in Samudra Pradakshina, a Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition, on 22 July 2026. The mission matters for UPSC because it combines tri-service jointness, women’s participation in the armed forces, maritime diplomacy and Aatmanirbhar Bharat in one operational story.
Nine women officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force returned to Mumbai aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni after completing a 314-day voyage across four oceans. The expedition had been virtually flagged off by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on 11 September 2025 from Mumbai.
What happened
UPSC can use Samudra Pradakshina to test tri-service integration, the role of women officers in combat-support and expeditionary roles, and the strategic value of maritime diplomacy through an indigenous platform. A Mains answer can also connect the mission to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, soft power and operational jointness.
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