INS Mysore Arrives in Malaysia for Fourth Edition of Exercise Samudra Laksamana

Indian Navy warship INS Mysore arrived at Lumut, Malaysia, on September 9, 2026, to participate in the fourth edition of Exercise Samudra Laksamana, the bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy.

The deployment forms part of the Indian Navy’s wider operational presence in the region and comes amid steadily expanding maritime cooperation between India and Malaysia.

INS Mysore and its crew were received at Lumut by personnel of the Royal Malaysian Navy and representatives of the High Commission of India in Malaysia.

Harbour and Sea-Based Engagements

Exercise Samudra Laksamana will include a series of professional interactions both in harbour and at sea.

The programme includes cross-deck visits, operational exchanges, professional discussions and sporting activities, giving sailors from the two navies opportunities to share experience and strengthen coordination.

The exercise is intended to improve interoperability, mutual understanding and professional familiarity between the Indian and Malaysian naval forces.

Such bilateral exercises also allow participating ships and crews to refine procedures for operating together in the maritime domain, an increasingly important requirement as regional navies cooperate on issues ranging from maritime security to maintaining safe and open sea lanes.

India–Malaysia Naval Cooperation Expands

The latest edition of Samudra Laksamana builds on a series of recent defence and maritime engagements between the two countries.

On July 1, 2026, India and Malaysia held the 12th India–Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting, providing another institutional platform for strengthening bilateral defence cooperation.

INS Mysore’s deployment therefore reflects the growing frequency of operational and professional contact between the Indian Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy.

Malaysia occupies a strategically important position alongside the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s most important maritime corridors linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Naval cooperation with Malaysia consequently forms an important component of India’s wider engagement with Southeast Asia.

Linked to MAHASAGAR and ASEAN Maritime Cooperation

The Indian Navy said the engagement is aligned with India’s MAHASAGAR vision and the ASEAN–India Year of Maritime Cooperation 2026.

Through exercises such as Samudra Laksamana, India is seeking to deepen practical maritime partnerships with ASEAN countries while strengthening professional relationships between naval forces across the Indo-Pacific.

The fourth edition of the exercise marks another step in the developing India–Malaysia maritime partnership, combining operational engagement at sea with institutional and personnel-level exchanges designed to strengthen long-term naval cooperation.

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