AIKEYME 2025: maiden Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement inaugurated at Dar-es-Salaam
The maiden Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) exercise, co-hosted by India and Tanzania with eight other African nations, was inaugurated at Dar-es-Salaam on 13 April 2025 onboard INS Chennai.
Summary
The harbour phase of AIKEYME 2025, the Indian Navy's maiden large-scale multilateral maritime exercise with African nations, was inaugurated at Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, on 13 April 2025 onboard INS Chennai by Tanzania's Minister of Defence and National Service Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax and Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth, in the presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. Co-hosted by India and Tanzania, the six-day exercise (13–18 April) involves Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa. 'AIKEYME' means 'Unity' in Sanskrit. The harbour phase covers training on piracy and information sharing, followed by a sea phase. INS Chennai (a destroyer) and INS Kesari (a Landing Ship Tank-Large) represent India; the exercise follows the MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision. A Weapons Training Simulator at Arusha was digitally inaugurated and a Defence Expo with 22 Indian companies was held. Separately, INS Sunayna, deployed as IOS SAGAR with 44 personnel from 9 friendly foreign nations, made its first port call at Dar-es-Salaam on 12 April after sailing from Karwar on 5 April.
Key facts
- Exercise
- Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME), maiden edition
- Co-hosts
- India and Tanzania
- Dates
- 13–18 April 2025 (six days)
- Inaugurated onboard
- INS Chennai, Dar-es-Salaam
- Other participants
- Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa
- Meaning of AIKEYME
- 'Unity' in Sanskrit
- Indian ships
- INS Chennai (destroyer), INS Kesari (LST-L)
- MAHASAGAR
- Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
- IOS SAGAR
- INS Sunayna; 44 personnel from 9 friendly foreign nations; sailed from Karwar on 5 April
Practice MCQs 5 questions
The maiden Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) 2025 was co-hosted by India and which country?
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Correct answer: B — Tanzania
Tanzania co-hosted the exercise, which was inaugurated at Dar-es-Salaam on 13 April 2025.
What does 'AIKEYME', the name of the India–Africa maritime exercise, mean in Sanskrit?
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Correct answer: C — Unity
Unity is the meaning of 'AIKEYME' in Sanskrit, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Onboard which Indian Navy ship was the harbour phase of AIKEYME 2025 inaugurated at Dar-es-Salaam?
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Correct answer: A — INS Chennai
INS Chennai, a destroyer; INS Kesari was the other Indian ship in the exercise, and INS Sunayna was deployed separately as IOS SAGAR.
Consider the following statements about AIKEYME 2025: 1. It was a six-day exercise held from 13 to 18 April 2025. 2. Its harbour phase included training on piracy and information sharing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The exercise ran for six days from 13 to 18 April, and the harbour phase covered piracy and information-sharing training before the sea phase.
In the MAHASAGAR vision cited for AIKEYME 2025, what does 'MAHASAGAR' stand for?
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Correct answer: D — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions is the expansion given by the Ministry of Defence.