INS Nistar is designed to carry out deep-sea submarine rescue missions using its Deep Rescue Vehicle. If required, the system can also be deployed on other ships, known as “Vessels of Opportunity.”

India’s participation in the multinational Exercise Pacific Reach 2025 in the South China Sea underscores a major stride in its naval outreach and maritime diplomacy.

The drill, hosted with over 40 participating nations—including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Singapore—focuses on submarine rescue and safety operations, areas critical to modern undersea warfare preparedness.

India deployed INS Nistar, its newly commissioned Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV)-support ship, marking the first major multilateral operational debut of the platform equipped to operate DSRVs up to 650 meters, establishing India among the limited set of nations with advanced submarine rescue capability.

Strategically, India’s move reflects its alignment with a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific vision, reinforcing international maritime norms against unilateral or coercive claims.

By deploying assets in contested waters, India signals both capability and intent to act as a responsible stakeholder in regional maritime security without engaging in overt confrontation. The presence of China as an observer further highlighted India’s nuanced approach—participating robustly with like-minded partners while avoiding escalatory optics.

Operationally, the exercise allowed India to showcase deep-sea rescue technology, participate in harbour and sea phases of submarine rescue drills, and engage in medical symposiums and technical knowledge-sharing sessions.

Such collaboration enhances India’s interoperability with global navies, establishes confidence in crisis response, and builds trust in systems-level cooperation during undersea accidents or maritime contingencies.

Participation alongside first-tier submarine-operating nations also positions India as a dependable partner in multinational humanitarian and rescue frameworks.

Diplomatically, India’s engagement deepens multilateral defence networks beyond established bilateral and trilateral formats. The ability to plug into coalition exercises of this scale provides India with increased diplomatic leverage and strengthens its presence in Southeast Asia, complementing recent naval engagements with countries like the Philippines and Vietnam.

This progression aligns with India’s Act East policy and larger Indo-Pacific framework, projecting influence not just in the Indian Ocean but into wider regional maritime corridors that carry the bulk of global trade.

In terms of regional balance, India’s role contributes to collective stability mechanisms, reassuring smaller regional countries of India’s commitment to peace, safety, and rules-based cooperation.

The South China Sea remains contested, with China’s expansive maritime claims causing friction with ASEAN states, and India’s measured but visible naval role signals support for international law, while maintaining open channels for dialogue and crisis management.

Ultimately, Exercise Pacific Reach 2025 cements India’s growing identity as a credible maritime power willing to share responsibilities in global commons management.

By combining strategic signalling, operational demonstration, multilateral networking, and diplomatic balance, India has widened its security footprint in the Indo-Pacific while reinforcing its rising global naval profile.

Agencies