Sea Vigil-24 exercise to test coastal defence preparedness: Commodore Mahesh

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 16 (ANI): Commodore M Mahesh said that the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command is conducting the coastal defence exercise 'Sea Vigil-24' to assess the country's preparedness against maritime threats.

The Indian Navy is set to conduct the fourth edition of the 'Pan-India' Coastal Defence Exercise 'Sea Vigil-24' on November 20 and 21, according to a Defence Ministry release.

Speaking to ANI, Commodore Mahesh said, "This (Sea Vigil-24) is a national-level coastal defence exercise. It is one of the largest exercises that is held as far as coastal defence is concerned. It is being held simultaneously in all the coastal states and union territories of India. This exercise aims to gauge our preparedness against threats that are coming from the sea.""It involves the participation of six ministries and nearly 20 agencies. Some of the prominent agencies that I can tell you offhand are the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, the State Marine Police, the Fisheries Department, the Customs Department, the Director General of Shipping, the Director General of Lighthouse, CISF, Port authorities and many others," he said.

The fourth edition of Ex Sea Vigil will span an unprecedented scale, both in terms of geographical reach and the magnitude of participation, with the involvement of 06 Ministries and 21 Organisations/ agencies.

The Coastal DefenceSecurity Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase of the exercise is being conducted by the Naval Officer-in-Charge of all coastal states and UTs (including LakshadweepAN Island) since the end Oct 24, where in thorough audit of complete coastal defence and security infrastructure is being carried out.

"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, Fisheries, etc," the release read.

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. This year participation by other Services (Indian Army and Air Force) and the planned deployment of a large number of ships and aircraft have enhanced the tempo of the exercise.

Originally conceptualised in 2018, Sea Vigil was designed to validate and enhance measures adopted to bolster Coastal Defence, post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as per the release.

Encompassing the entire 11,098 km coastline and a 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.

"One of the aims of the exercise is to raise awareness amongst coastal communities about maritime security, and thus, involvement of fishing communities, coastal populace, and students from NCC and Bharat Scouts and Guides will add to the fervour of the endeavour, the release read.

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.

Serving as a precursor to the Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), conducted biennially by the Indian Navy, Sea Vigil-24 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. (ANI)