Pan-India coastal defence exercise 'Sea Vigil' to be held on Nov 20-21: Navy

New Delhi: A pan-India coastal defence exercise aimed at assessing the current preparedness of all maritime security agencies, identifying their strengths and weaknesses and enhancing the nation's overall maritime defence framework is set to be conducted on November 20-21, the Navy said on Wednesday.

Originally conceptualised in 2018, 'Exercise Sea Vigil' was designed to validate and enhance measures adopted to bolster coastal defence post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

"This year, participation by other Services (the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force), and planned deployment of a large number of ships and aircraft have enhanced the tempo of the exercise," according to a statement issued by the Indian Navy.

The Navy leads this exercise whose fourth edition, to be held on November 20-21, will span an "unprecedented scale", both in terms of geographical reach and the magnitude of participation, with the involvement of six ministries and 21 organisations and agencies, it said.

While coastal security exercises are conducted by individual coastal states and maritime security agencies regularly, 'Exercise Sea Vigil' coordinated by the Indian Navy stands out as a national-level initiative that provides a holistic appraisal of India's maritime defence and security capabilities.

"The exercise offers a significant opportunity to assess the current preparedness of all maritime security agencies, identify their strengths and weaknesses and enhance the nation’s overall maritime defence framework," the Navy said.

The Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase of the exercise is being conducted by naval officer-in-charges of all coastal states and UTs (including Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands) since the end of October, where in a thorough audit of complete coastal defence and security infrastructure is being carried out, it added.

This year, National Security Council Secretariat officials will also be part of Indian Navy-led CDSRE teams "for the first time", along with personnel from state marine police, coast guard, customs, and fisheries, among others, the statement said.

The exercise will focus on strengthening the security of coastal assets, like ports, oil rigs, single-point moorings, cable landing points and critical coastal infrastructure including the coastal population.

"Encompassing the entire 11,098-km coastline and vast Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.4 million square kilometres, this comprehensive exercise will engage complete coastal security infrastructure and all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing community and coastal populace, simultaneously," it said.

One of the aims of the exercise is to raise awareness among coastal communities about maritime security, and the involvement of fishing communities, coastal populace and students from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the Bharat Scouts and Guides will add to the fervour of the endeavour, the Navy said.

Serving as a precursor to the Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), conducted biennially by the Indian Navy, 'Exercise Sea Vigil' will serve as an essential measure in reinforcing India's commitment to safeguarding its maritime boundaries and ensuring coordinated efforts among all stakeholders in coastal defence, it added.

Inputs from PTI