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India on Wednesday scripted maritime history as an all-women tri-services crew completed the country’s first-ever global circumnavigation by a team drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force, returning to Mumbai after a 314-day voyage aboard the indigenously built Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni.
The nine officers sailed nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans and rounded the three Great Capes during the expedition, Samudra Pradakshina, which began from Mumbai on September 11, 2025.
The voyage met internationally accepted benchmarks for a true circumnavigation by crossing all meridians of longitude, transiting the Equator twice, crossing the International Date Line and rounding Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. The crew also made port calls at Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand, Buenos Aires in Argentina and Cape Town in South Africa before returning to Mumbai.
One of the toughest phases of the expedition was the passage through the Drake Passage and the rounding of Cape Horn, among the most challenging stretches for ocean sailors. By completing the route, all nine officers earned membership of the prestigious fraternity of Cape Horners.
The 50-foot IASV Triveni, built in India, withstood extreme ocean conditions throughout the mission, underscoring the country’s indigenous shipbuilding capability. During overseas port calls, the vessel also served as a platform for military diplomacy, showcasing India’s maritime heritage and outreach.
The expedition was flagged in at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani and the Chiefs of the three Services attended the ceremony virtually from New Delhi, while senior military officers, foreign defence representatives, veterans and family members welcomed the crew in Mumbai.
Describing the expedition as a milestone for Nari Shakti and joint military operations, Rajnath Singh said the crew had demonstrated extraordinary courage and the strength of tri-service integration.
“The crew has proven that human courage is mightier than any storm. They have made every Indian woman proud and shown that Indian women do not wait for opportunities, they create them. History will remember this expedition as proof of India’s defence integration and unity,” he said.
“At a time when the world is discussing joint operations, integrated commands, and multi-domain warfare, IASV Triveni has demonstrated the importance of jointness. Capability multiplies when there is coordination. Victory paves its own path when the three forces march together,” he added.
The mission also highlighted growing operational synergy among the Army, Navy and Air Force. After training together for more than two years, the officers lived and worked as a single unit for nearly a year at sea.
Mission leader Lt Col Anuja Varudkar said the voyage strengthened the bonds across the three Services.
“We embarked on the expedition as officers from separate forces but came back together as Team Triveni. Although our uniforms are different, our duty and dedication towards the nation are the same,” she said.
Team BharatShakti
