Navy, Coast Guard to conduct 'largest' coastal defence exercise - Sea Vigil

New Delhi, Jan 12: With an aim to conduct a massive exercise to test India’s security mechanism along the coastline, Indian Navy, Coast Guard and several naval agencies will kick start largest coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil from January 12 wargaming infiltration through the sea route.

 

Apart from the maritime forces like Indian Navy and Coast Guard, Indian Air Force, Coast, National Security Guards, Border Police Force, Police, Customs, CISF, Department of Fisheries, DG (Shipping) will also be part of the exercise ‘Sea Vigil.’ It is the second edition of the biennial pan-India coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil-21’ that will be conducted from January 12 to13 January 2021.

  

 

The exercise will be undertaken along the entire 7,516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone of India and will involve all the 13 coastal states and Union Territories along with other maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities under the guidance of Indian Navy. The entire coastal security set up was reorganised after the 26/11 Terror attack at Mumbai which was launched via the sea route.

 

"The scale and conceptual expanse of the exercise are unprecedented in terms of the geographical extent, the number of stakeholders involved, the number of units participating and in terms of the objectives to be met," the Defence Ministry said.

 

"While smaller-scale exercises are conducted in coastal states regularly, including combined exercises amongst adjoining states, the conduct of a security exercise at national-level is aimed to serve a larger purpose. It provides an opportunity, at the apex level, to assess our preparedness in the domain of maritime security and coastal defence. The exercise 'Sea Vigil-21’ will provide a realistic assessment of our strengths and weaknesses and thus will help in further strengthening maritime and national security," it added.

 

The exercise is a build-up towards the major Theatre level exercise Tropex [Theatre-level Readiness Operational Exercise] which the Indian Navy conducts every two years. The Sea Vigil and Tropex together will cover the entire spectrum of maritime security challenges, including the transition from peace to conflict.

 

Assets of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and other maritime agencies will participate in SEA VIGIL, the conduct of which is also being facilitated by the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Shipping, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Fisheries, Customs, State Governments and other agencies of Centre/ State.

 

Coastal Defence Exercise was conducted for the first time throughout the coastal states from January 22 to 23 in 2019. The exercise was codenamed 'Ex Sea Vigil'.