India, Dec. 29 -- On October 2, 2024, the Indian Navy launched a mission that quietly yet powerfully redefined the intersection of adventure, national resolve, and diplomacy. Under the banner of Navika Sagar Parikrama II (NSP II), Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A set sail on a historic circumnavigation of the globe - an expedition that would span eight demanding months, cover more than 25,500 nautical miles, and conclude with their return to India on 29 May 2025.

Along the way, they made strategic port calls at Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand, Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, and Cape Town in South Africa. This remarkable voyage was far more than a test of seamanship and endurance. It wa...