← 19 October 2026's Current Affairs · Defence GA Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★☆☆☆
INS Sudarshini sails from Salalah on the Lokayan 2026 voyage
Why in News?
A Navy ship that trains officers under sail: the INS Sudarshini facts GS-III Defence questions test
INS Sudarshini, the Navy's sail training ship, departed Salalah, Oman, on its Lokayan 2026 voyage.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
The Indian Navy sail training ship INS Sudarshini has left Salalah in Oman as part of Lokayan 2026, a long-range sail training voyage.
Such voyages build seamanship in young officers and showcase India's naval presence and maritime ties with ports across the Indian Ocean.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- INS Sudarshini is the Indian Navy's sail training ship, used for long-range voyages for young officers.
- Lokayan 2026 is the latest long-range sail training voyage; the ship has departed Salalah, Oman.
- Salalah is a port city in southern Oman on the Arabian Sea coast.
- Such voyages build seamanship and showcase India's naval presence and maritime ties across the Indian Ocean.
- Sail training ships are a distinct class from destroyers, tankers and survey vessels.
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- INS Sudarshini is a sail training ship of the Indian Navy, not a guided-missile destroyer or a fleet support tanker.
- Salalah, the port from which the Lokayan 2026 voyage departed, lies in Oman on the Arabian Sea.
- Sail training voyages help build seamanship in young naval officers and support maritime diplomacy in the Indian Ocean Region.
Mains
GS-III (Defence; maritime security) and GS-II (international relations). Long-range sail training voyages like Lokayan train young officers and double as naval outreach to Indian Ocean ports such as Salalah. They reinforce India's maritime partnerships and presence in the Indian Ocean Region; the way forward is to link such port calls with regular exercises, capacity building and SAGAR/MAHASAGAR-style regional engagement.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
INS Sudarshini, which has sailed from Salalah on the Lokayan 2026 voyage, is classified as a:
- Guided-missile destroyer
- Fleet support tanker
- Sail training ship
- Hydrographic survey vessel
Show answer
Answer: C — The correct answer is a sail training ship, a sailing vessel the Navy uses to train young officers.
Convert this topic into marks
Today's 10-MCQ test · instant analysis · Powered by AdaptIQ