INS Sudarshini faces uncertain return route amid Strait of Hormuz tensions

Reinforcing the Indian Navy's commitment to maritime diplomacy, international goodwill and cultural exchange, INS Sudarshini will remain open to visitors from July 12-15, following which she is likely to begin preparations for her return leg to India.

The ship set sail from Kochi on January 20, 2026, for the 10-month-long transoceanic sail expedition. During this 22,000-nautical-mile voyage, INS Sudarshini will visit 18 ports across 13 countries. Before she visited the US, she participated in the Escale à Sète 2026 in France.

The ship made a port call at Salalah in Oman on February 2, before crossing the Strait of Hormuz and reaching Safaga in Egypt on February 26. INS Sudarshini covered a distance of 1,832 nautical miles through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in 16 days, barely days before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. After traversing the Suez Canal, she called on ports in Malta, France, Morocco, Spain, Cape Verde and Antigua before reaching the US.

An official said there was still some time to go, and that the ship would have to make a trans-Atlantic voyage back towards Europe. After she calls at other ports, a decision would have to be made on whether she would sail through the Gulf of Aden or detour around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, with everything depending on the situation in the Middle East at that time.

This detour would mean that the ship would have to cover an additional 3,500-4,000 nautical miles. While the extended voyage will not be a problem for the ship with both sails and engines, new ports of call will need to be arranged for the vessel's replenishment.

The official added that while INS Sudarshini is not strictly a warship and is unarmed, she is registered as a military vessel and will find it difficult to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if hostilities continue.

Meanwhile, the crew and cadets aboard the ship are interacting with their counterparts from the US and other nations while she remains berthed at the Boston Fish Harbour. On July 12, Raghuram Sastry, Consul General of India in Boston, embarked INS Sudarshini for the Grand Parade of Sails and the ship's ceremonial entry into Boston.

She sailed proudly with the Indian Tricolour, passing prominent landmarks including Castle Island and the Seaport District before berthing at Boston Fish Pier.

--IANS

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