INS Trishul PASSEX with the Hellenic Navy frigate HS Limnos (F451) brought the Indian warship's port call at Souda Bay in Greece to a close on Tuesday. She has since moved on to the next phase of her deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.

The frigate had reached the base on Crete on 31 October.

INS Trishul PASSEX included helicopter landing and replenishment approaches

The Passage Exercise was held as INS Trishul left Souda Bay. According to the Ministry of Defence, the two frigates carried out manoeuvring drills, replenishment approaches and communication procedure drills. The Indian ship's integral helicopter also made a cross-deck landing. Both navies exchanged professional expertise and best practices during the exercise, the ministry said.

HS Limnos is an Elli class frigate built in the Netherlands and commissioned in 1982.

Commanding Officer met Hellenic Navy, NATO and US Navy heads

In harbour, the Commanding Officer of INS Trishul called on senior functionaries of the Hellenic Navy, the head of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) and the head of the US Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay.

The talks focused on operational logistics requirements, cooperation and mutual support among partner navies, the ministry said.

Personnel of the two navies also exchanged visits. Hellenic Navy personnel came aboard INS Trishul for a tour and were familiarised with the ship and her capabilities. The two sides compared professional practices and shared experiences during these interactions, according to the ministry.

Ambassador Ravi Shankar briefed on frigate's combat capabilities

India's Ambassador to Greece, Ravi Shankar, visited the ship. He was briefed on her combat capabilities and interacted with the crew.

Major General N Dimitrakos attends cultural event on board

A cultural event was hosted on the ship. The guests included the Ambassador, Major General N Dimitrakos, Commander of the NATO Missile Firing Installation, senior officers of the Hellenic and US navies and members of the Indian diaspora.

Indian frigates exercised with Hellenic ships through 2025

The INS Trishul PASSEX follows several such drills between the two navies. INS Tarkash exercised with HS Psara off Mumbai in July 2025, and INS Tamal held a PASSEX with HS Ritsos north of Crete that August. INS Trikand then joined HS Themistokles for the maiden bilateral exercise in September 2025, and exercised with HS Adrias in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh toured Cyprus and Greece from 12 to 15 October this year.

Greece followed Italy and Portugal on the deployment

The Talwar class frigate came to Crete from Civitavecchia in Italy. Before that she called at Lisbon in Portugal and joined the Royal Navy off Plymouth for Exercise Konkan 2026. In September, her calls included Alexandria in Egypt, Toulon in France for Exercise Varuna, and Valencia in Spain.