Pariksha SaathiINS Tarkash Heads to South Africa for Ninth India-Brazil-South Africa Naval Exercise IBSAMAR
The Indian Navy's guided missile stealth frigate INS Tarkash is on deployment to South Africa for IBSAMAR IX, the ninth edition of the trilateral maritime exercise of India, Brazil and South Africa, the Defence Ministry said on 12 October 2026. IBSAMAR has been held every two years since 2008 under the IBSA framework, and this edition carries the theme 'Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain'. The drills span surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare, naval aviation, maritime interdiction, visit-board-search-and-seizure, anti-piracy work, search and rescue, and damage control and firefighting. South Africa is fielding the ships SAS Amatola, SAS King Sekhukhune I and SAS Adam Kok III along with the submarine SAS Manthatisi. Brazil is sending BNS Barroso with a Lynx helicopter, and INS Tarkash carries a Chetak helicopter. Exam tip: link IBSAMAR to the IBSA grouping of India, Brazil and South Africa, three democracies spanning Asia, South America and Africa.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
IBSAMAR is a trilateral naval exercise among India, Brazil and South Africa that grew out of the IBSA Dialogue Forum, formed when the three countries’ foreign ministers adopted the Brasília Declaration on 6 June 2003. The first IBSAMAR edition was held off Simon’s Town, South Africa, from 2 to 16 May 2008; the fifth edition, in 2016, was the first held in Indian waters, off Goa.
Reference: Government of South Africa — IBSA Dialogue Forum page
Check yourself: has IBSAMAR always been held in Indian waters?
No — the first edition in 2008 was held off South Africa; only from the fifth edition in 2016 did the exercise come to Indian waters, off Goa.
Revision task: note today’s edition number (the ninth) and INS Tarkash’s departure port and date from this release, and separate these from IBSAMAR’s standing origin above.
Test yourself
How often has the trilateral naval exercise IBSAMAR, whose ninth edition INS Tarkash is joining, been held since 2008?
Show the answer
Answer: Every two years
IBSAMAR has been held every two years since 2008 under the IBSA framework of India, Brazil and South Africa; IBSAMAR IX is being held in South Africa with the theme 'Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain'.
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