The Indian Navy has commenced the fifth edition of the nationwide Coastal Defence Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-26’, a large-scale biennial drill designed to assess India’s coastal security preparedness, identify vulnerabilities in existing security arrangements and strengthen coordination among the numerous agencies responsible for safeguarding the country’s maritime domain.

The exercise is being conducted across India’s entire coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone from November 11 to 19. Led by the Indian Navy, Sea Vigil-26 brings together a wide spectrum of maritime stakeholders, including the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs authorities, fisheries agencies, state administrations and coastal communities.

Conducted in two phases, the exercise began with the Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase, which runs from November 11 to 17. This will be followed by the operational sea phase on November 18 and 19, during which tactical scenarios will be enacted to test real-time response capabilities.

Speaking about the exercise, Capt James John, Officiating Chief Staff Officer of Goa Naval Area, said the first phase focuses on evaluating coastal defence preparedness through dedicated audit teams comprising personnel from the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Fisheries Department and Customs authorities.

“So right now we have the fifth edition of Exercise Sea Vigil, which has got underway. It's already underway, and the first phase is underway. The exercise is intended to be conducted in two phases. It's a pan-India exercise, and we have the first phase, which is a coastal defence security evaluation exercise which is happening right now,” he said.

As part of the assessment process, separate audit teams are covering North and South Goa, inspecting a range of coastal security infrastructure and facilities. These include Vessel and Ship Visiting Points (VSVPs), coastal police stations, fish landing centres and fish landing stations.

“The team would go to points like the VSVPs and the coastal police stations and also the fish landing centres and fish landing stations to conduct the evaluation of the particular centres,” John said.

According to officials, the inspections are intended to identify operational challenges, shortfalls in available assets and any loopholes in the coastal security architecture. Findings from these evaluations will be used to improve procedures and strengthen the overall coastal defence framework.

The second phase will involve a tactical simulation featuring opposing red and blue forces. The red force will replicate hostile elements attempting to infiltrate the coastline, while the blue force will comprise maritime agencies and security stakeholders working together to detect, track and neutralise the threat.

Explaining the scenario, John said the exercise would simulate incidents such as the commandeering of vessels and the infiltration of terrorists through maritime routes, allowing security agencies to rehearse coordinated response measures.

“We would have a red and blue force. The red force would be the inimical force. The blue force consists of all the maritime stakeholders of the state, and together we would be defending the state. The red force would come and attack,” he said.

“During the exercise, we would have commandeering of ships; they will land the terrorists. This is all an exercise, and then the blue force would do all that is possible. We keep a vigilant watch, and our aim would be to catch the intruders and arrest them,” he added.

The exercise involves all Coastal States and Union Territories and will see participation from assets belonging to the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs and several other maritime agencies. Fishing and coastal communities are also participating, reflecting their important role as frontline stakeholders in maritime domain awareness.

Sea Vigil-26 is being coordinated with the support of multiple ministries, including the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, along with various Central and state government organisations.

The exercise was originally conceptualised in 2018 as part of efforts to validate and strengthen maritime security measures introduced after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Since then, it has evolved into India’s largest coastal security exercise, designed to test the effectiveness of surveillance networks, inter-agency communication and rapid-response mechanisms across the country’s maritime frontier.

Sea Vigil also serves as a precursor to the Indian Navy’s biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), one of the nation’s most important military readiness drills. Together, Sea Vigil and TROPEX cover the full spectrum of maritime security challenges, from coastal defence and harbour protection to operations in the high seas.

By combining audits, field inspections, inter-agency coordination and realistic threat simulations, Sea Vigil-26 is intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of India’s preparedness to counter evolving maritime threats while further reinforcing national and maritime security.

ANI