Kolkata, Sept 2026 : The Indian Navy’s ocean-going sailing vessel INSV Neelkanth will embark on a challenging voyage from the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquarters in Visakhapatnam to Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC).
The sailing vessel will cover approximately 661.2 nautical miles on its journey to Sri Vijaya Puram, earlier known as Port Blair. The voyage is intended to commemorate 25 years of the tri-services command and also promote sailing and maritime adventure among naval personnel.
Ahead of the expedition, Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), interacted with the crew of INSV Neelkanth at Visakhapatnam on Saturday, September 19.
According to the ANC, the interaction focused on important lessons for the voyage and sought to inspire the future of sailing activities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
INSV Neelkanth is a nearly 40-foot-long sailing yacht designed for ocean racing and long-distance sailing. It is among six ocean-going sailing vessels operated by the Indian Navy for expeditions and training. The other vessels are INSV Mhadei, INSV Tarini, INSV Bulbul, INSV Hariyali and INSV Kadalpura.
The vessel has previously undertaken several demanding expeditions. In 2023, INSV Neelkanth secured first place in the Inter Command Ocean Sailing Race after covering 360 nautical miles between Kochi and Goa. During the race, its crew, comprising both men and women, faced heavy rain, sea conditions reaching State 4 and wind gusts exceeding 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 school, INS Satavahana. Earlier, in 2021, it sailed from Chennai to Visakhapatnam to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Navy’s submarine base, INS Virbahu.
Unlike these earlier expeditions, which were conducted along India’s coastline, the upcoming voyage to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will take the crew across open seas. Weather conditions could pose an additional challenge as the vessel approaches the Andaman Sea.
A low-pressure system may develop over the region, while southwest winds of 20–25 knots are expected over the South Andaman Sea. Rough sea conditions and poor visibility may also be encountered during the voyage.
An official said the crew was highly trained and the vessel was capable of operating in challenging weather conditions. The expedition, the official added, would provide valuable experience to the participating personnel.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command, established on October 1, 2001, is India’s first and only tri-services command. It brings together the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard to safeguard the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Apart from maintaining surveillance over India’s Exclusive Economic Zone around the archipelago, the ANC also contributes to protecting the region’s fragile marine ecosystem and conducts Marine Search and Rescue operations in one of the world’s busiest maritime regions.
The ANC has planned a series of programmes to mark its Silver Jubilee, with several activities involving island residents already underway.
