Sea Vigil-22, the third edition of a pan-India Coastal Defence Exercise, will be conducted on November 15-16.
"The exercise is being conducted by the Indian Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and other ministries entrusted with the task of maritime activities," an official says.
While smaller scale exercises are conducted in coastal states regularly, including combined exercises among adjoining states, Sea Vigil, the official explains, "provides an opportunity to assess our preparedness in the domain of maritime security and coastal defence."
IMAGE: Sea Vigil-22 will cover the country's 7,516 km-long coastline and exclusive economic zone with the twin aim of checking preparedness of various agencies to deal with any eventualities and bolster overall maritime security. Photographs: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Sea Vigil as a national coastal defence exercise was conceptualised in 2018 to validate various measures instituted towards enhancing maritime security since 26/11. The first Sea Vigil was conducted in 2019.
IMAGE: The scale and conceptual expanse of Sea Vigil-22 is "unprecedented" in terms of geographical extent, the number of stakeholders involved, the number of units participating and the objectives to be met, officials say.
IMAGE: In addition to the ministry of defence, Sea Vigil will also involve the ministries of home affairs, shipping and waterways, petroleum and natural gas, fisheries animal husbandry and dairying, customs, and other agencies concerned of central and state governments.
IMAGE: Sea Vigil-22 is a build up towards the major Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), which the Indian Navy conducts every two years.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com
