India, Dec. 2 -- I vividly remember boarding the then INS Vikrant - formerly HMS Hercules - with my father during a special port call to Colombo in the 1970s. I was a young boy then, absorbed in a hobby of building model airplanes and ships, especially aircraft carriers. The encounter was unforgettable. It was my first time aboard a carrier - a steel giant that captured both my imagination and my awe.

So, the announcement that the newly built, fully indigenous INS Vikrant would make its maiden overseas visit to Sri Lanka for the International Fleet Review 2025 and the Sri Lanka Navy's 75th anniversary celebrations stirred nostalgia. But, only afterward did I fully grasp how fortuitous and meaningful her arrival would prove to be.

Cyclon...