Rajnath Singh Flags-off ‘Samudra Pradakshina’, World’s First Tri-Service All-Women Sailing Circumnavigation.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually flagged-off ‘Samudra Pradakshina’, the world’s first tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition, from the Gateway of India, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

      - The expedition is led by 10 women officers from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, making it the first attempt by an all-women tri-service crew to sail around the globe. They will sail onboard the IASV Triveni, an indigenously built 50-foot Class A yacht constructed in Puducherry.

      - During their journey, the crew will cross the equator twice and pass through the three great capes — Cape Leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn in South America, and the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The toughest phase will be the Southern Ocean and Drake Passage.

      - The global voyage will include four international port calls at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Canada), and Cape Town (South Africa).

Main Point :-   (i) The expedition is planned to cover nearly 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 km), adhering to the international circumnavigation sailing standard.

      (ii) Training for the women officers was conducted under the Indian Army Adventure Wing (IAAW) and supervised by experienced naval sailing instructors.

(iii) This initiative is aligned with India’s 75th year of women’s induction in the Armed Forces (since 1949), making it a landmark event in military gender inclusion.
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