Goa is among the coastal states covered under the fifth edition of the national-level coastal defence exercise, Sea Vigil-26, being conducted from November 11 to 19 under the coordination of the Indian Navy. Launched in 2018 in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Sea Vigil is an important initiative to evaluate India’s coastal defence framework.
The exercise covers India’s entire coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone, aiming to assess coastal security preparedness and strengthen coordination among maritime agencies. The exercise is being conducted in two phases. The first phase, the Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation, from November 11 to 17, focuses on assessing the preparedness of coastal security agencies. The second phase, the Sea Phase, will be held on November 18 and 19.
The exercise brings together the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs and other maritime stakeholders.
Capt James John, Officiating Chief Staff Officer, Headquarters Goa Naval Area, highlighted the importance of constant vigilance, operational readiness and inter-agency coordination in safeguarding India’s coastline.
Sea Vigil-26 also contributes to the Indian Navy’s biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), further strengthening the country’s overall maritime security preparedness.
