Why in news? The Royal Navy’s(UK)  offshore patrol vessel, HMS Tamar, sailed to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific

Highlights

• India is the first port of call for the ship and underlines the United Kingdom and India’s intent to collaborate in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and wider Indo-Pacific
• The ship and her crew will undertake capability demonstrations and maritime exercises with the Indian Navy.
• HMS Tamar’s deployment is the U.K.’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action and evidence of the importance to attach to defence and security relationship with India

What is first port of call?

• The first place vessel stop to visit, accomplish or do something during the journey

HMS Tamar

• It is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel of the Royal Navy.
• Named after the River Tamar in England,
• This is the seventh Royal Navy ship to be named Tamar.
• Forward deployed long-term to the Indo-Pacific region with her sister ship HMS Spey