Muscat: To enhance the maritime partnership between Indian Navy and Royal Oman Navy, the indigenously built destroyer INS Visakhapatnam entered Oman on Sunday, informed Indian Navy officials.

The Indian Navy and Royal Oman Navy are working together to address security challenges in the region and the warship is part of the Western Naval Command Fleet, the officials added.

The Sultanate of Oman is a strategic partner of India and an important interlocutor at Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora. India and Oman are linked by geography, history and culture and enjoy warm and cordial relations. While people-to-people contact between India and Oman can be traced back 5,000 years, diplomatic relations were established in 1955 and the relationship was upgraded to a Strategic partnership in 2008, as per the Ministry of External Affairs.

INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship of the P15B class of guided missile stealth destroyers and was commissioned on November 21, 2021.

The ship symbolises India's matured shipbuilding capability and the quest for the 'Make-in-India' initiative towards achieving 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. The crew of the ship abides by her motto 'Yasho Labhasva', a Sanskrit phrase that translates to 'Attain Glory'.

It embodies the indomitable spirit and capability of this mighty ship to achieve success and glory in every endeavour. The motto inspires her crew to surmount all odds and uphold the glory of the Ship, Service and Nation always, said the Navy.