AIME-2026: Asean-India maritime exercise begins in Philippines with INS Sahyadri and Kulish

New Delhi: India and maritime forces from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have begun their second joint maritime exercise at Subic Bay in the Philippines, combining professional exchanges ashore with coordinated training at sea. The exercise, which opened on Monday, involves the Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and missile corvette INS Kulish and aims to improve participating forces’ ability to operate together.

Co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Philippine Navy, the Asean-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) includes the Philippine ships BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Tarlac and Singapore’s RSS Justice, according to an Akashvani report citing the Indian embassy in Manila. Planned activities range from discussions on disaster relief and maritime surveillance to boarding operations, helicopter landings on partner ships and medical evacuation drills.

The Indian ambassador to the Philippines, Harsh Kumar Jain, addressed participating personnel at the opening ceremony, according to the Navy’s release. Organized under the theme “Anchored in Trust, United at Sea”, the exercise seeks to build familiarity between maritime forces through operational training and interaction among their personnel.

The harbour phase includes exchanges between specialists, joint operational planning and a briefing to coordinate activities before the ships sail. Sporting events, cultural activities and community engagement are also scheduled alongside the professional programme.

Specialist discussions will cover humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime domain awareness, logistics, and women, peace and security. The subsequent sea phase is scheduled off the coast of Zambales province, where crews will practise working together in situations requiring coordinated ship, aircraft and medical support.

Such training addresses a practical challenge in multinational maritime operations: forces using different equipment and procedures must be able to communicate clearly and coordinate their actions. Boarding drills, helicopter transfers and casualty evacuation provide opportunities to identify procedural differences before crews encounter an actual emergency.

The exercise follows another multilateral engagement involving the same Indian ships at Subic Bay under the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus framework. That separate maritime security activity was hosted by the Philippine Navy and co-chaired by Japan, with professional exchanges, a tabletop exercise and operational planning among its components.

AIME was first held in May 2023, when India and Singapore co-hosted a harbour phase at Changi Naval Base followed by sea training in the South China Sea. The Indian contingent included the destroyer INS Delhi, the stealth frigate INS Satpura, a P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and shipborne helicopters, while participating Asean ships came from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The inaugural edition included tactical manoeuvres, helicopter landings on other participating ships and maritime security drills. It also practised the “Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea” – a set of procedures intended to reduce the risk of accidents or miscalculations when naval vessels meet unexpectedly.

The Philippines edition builds on a broader commitment by India and Asean to expand maritime cooperation through exercises, naval visits and information exchanges. In their October 10, 2024, joint statement, the two sides reaffirmed support for maritime safety, freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Navy has placed its participation within India’s Act East policy and the Mahasagar vision – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. Announced during the prime minister, Narendra Modi’s, visit to Mauritius in 2025, Mahasagar extends the earlier Sagar framework towards cooperation across a wider geographical area, linking security with development partnerships.