Exercise Sea Vigil

Table of Contents

- Exercise Sea Vigil is a biennial, national-level coastal defense exercise conducted by the Indian Navy.
- It involves all maritime stakeholders, including the Indian Coast Guard, state governments, Union territories, and other agencies.

Objectives

- Enhance coastal and maritime security.
- Test the efficacy of existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols.
- Strengthen coordination among various stakeholders involved in maritime security.
- Address potential vulnerabilities in India’s 11,098 km coastline and 2.4 million sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
First Edition: Initiated in 2018 as a response to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, highlighting the importance of maritime security.
Fourth Edition:
- Conducted in 2024, covering all coastal states and union territories.
- Focused on evaluating India’s preparedness against maritime threats, including asymmetric and hybrid warfare challenges.

Exercise	Conducted By	Participants	Objective/Significance
Sea Vigil	Indian Navy	All coastal states and agencies	Comprehensive coastal defense and maritime security.
Tropex	Indian Navy	Tri-services exercise	Theatre-level combat readiness involving naval, air, and land forces.
SLINEX	India & Sri Lanka	Navies of India and Sri Lanka	Enhancing inter-operability and mutual cooperation between the two navies.
Varuna	India & France	Indian and French Navies	Strengthening Indo-French maritime cooperation.
Milan	Indian Navy	Multinational naval exercise	Foster maritime cooperation and showcase India’s capabilities as a regional maritime security provider.
Malabar	India, USA, Japan, Australia	Quad countries	High-end naval exercises focusing on interoperability, ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare), and strategic cooperation.
Indo-Pacific Endeavour	Australia	India and regional countries	Promote peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
SIMBEX	India & Singapore	Navies of India and Singapore	Enhancing mutual understanding and inter-operability.
Kakadu	Australia	Multinational exercise	Encourage regional cooperation and enhance maritime partnerships.
Paschim Lehar	Indian Navy	Western Naval Command	Validate operational plans and combat readiness on India’s western seaboard.

Security Enhancement: Secures India’s extensive maritime boundaries from piracy, trafficking, and external threats.
Interoperability: Improves coordination with global navies.
Disaster Response: Prepares for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
Strategic Significance: Strengthens India’s position in the Indo-Pacific region as a maritime power.