INSV Neelkanth Sets Sail From Visakhapatnam for Andaman Islands in Silver Jubilee Voyage

The sailing expedition will cover nearly 661 nautical miles across the Bay of Bengal. Personnel from the Eastern Naval Command and the Andaman and Nicobar Command are jointly operating the vessel, with two women Agniveers also part of the crew.

Navy officials said the expedition is intended to highlight seamanship, teamwork and the evolving capabilities of personnel serving in the armed forces.

Ahead of the voyage, Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, interacted with the Neelkanth crew on September 19. The interaction focused on lessons relevant to the expedition and encouraging the development of sailing activities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The INSV Neelkanth is a sailing yacht of nearly 40 feet and is among six ocean-going sailing vessels operated by the Navy for training and expeditions. The fleet also includes INSV Mhadei, INSV Tarini, INSV Bulbul, INSV Hariyali and INSV Kadalpura.

Neelkanth has previously undertaken several long-distance sailing expeditions. In 2023, it won the Inter Command Ocean Sailing Race after covering the approximately 360-nautical-mile route between Kochi and Goa.

The crew, comprising both men and women, faced heavy rainfall and sea conditions reaching state four during that race, with winds gusting above 25 knots for two days.

In 2024, the vessel completed a 100-nautical-mile expedition within 24 hours to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Navy's submarine training establishment, INS Satavahana.

The vessel had earlier sailed from Chennai to Visakhapatnam in 2021 as part of celebrations marking the Golden Jubilee of the Navy's submarine base, INS Virbahu.

While those expeditions were conducted along India's coastline, the latest journey will take Neelkanth into open waters on its passage towards the Andaman Islands.

Officials said weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal are not expected to pose significant challenges in the immediate future. They also emphasised that the crew is trained to operate the vessel in varying sea and weather conditions.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command was established on October 1, 2001, and is India's first and only tri-services command. It brings together the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard for the defence and security of the strategically important island territory.

Beyond military responsibilities, the command conducts surveillance across India's Exclusive Economic Zone around the islands, supports marine search-and-rescue operations and contributes to the protection of the region's fragile marine and ecological environment.

As part of its Silver Jubilee celebrations, the Andaman and Nicobar Command is organising a series of events and activities involving communities across the islands.