The second edition of the pan India coastal security exercise Sea Vigil steered by the Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard, State governments, Union Territories and other maritime stakeholders concluded on Wednesday.
The aim of the exercise was to validate the efficacy of India’s coastal defence organisation against threats arising from the sea, a defence press release said.
“It was one of the largest coastal security exercises undertaken by the country in recent times, covering the entire spectrum of maritime security. The exercise was conducted in Kerala and Lakshadweep under the aegis of Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, and saw the participation of more than 100 ships, patrol craft and aircraft of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, as well as patrol boats manned by various security agencies off the coast of Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep,” it added.
Sea Vigil sought to undertake a realistic evaluation of the coastal security architecture of the country.
The real-time picture of activities during the exercise was monitored by various operational and control centres, especially at the Joint Operation Centres in various States. Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, who is also the Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence, Kerala, reviewed the progress of the exercise at Joint Operations Centre (Kochi) along with officials from various agencies.
The lessons identified from the exercise would further strengthen the overall coastal defence structure of the country, especially in terms of seamless communication, coordination amongst security agencies and optimisation of resources, the release said.
