New Delhi: The Indian Navy has held the main planning conference for Exercise Sea Vigil – 2026 in New Delhi, bringing the armed forces, central ministries and state authorities together ahead of a nationwide coastal security exercise. The meeting focused on coordination and operational preparedness across agencies responsible for protecting India’s maritime approaches and coastal infrastructure.
The conference was chaired by Vice Admiral AN Pramod, deputy chief of the naval staff, the Navy said on Tuesday. Discussions sought strengthening inter-agency coordination and a whole-of-government response to maritime security challenges.
Participants included the defence ministry and its department of military affairs, the ministries of home affairs, ports, shipping and waterways, and petroleum and natural gas, alongside the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard.
Representatives also came from the BSF, department of fisheries, directorate general of lighthouses and lightships, inland waterways authority of India, directorate general of maritime administration, national security council secretariat and directorate of revenue intelligence. The state maritime security coordinators and state administrations were also represented.
Strengthening India’s coastal security network
Sea Vigil was introduced in 2018 to test coastal-defence arrangements strengthened after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, when terrorists entered the city by sea.
Previous editions have tested surveillance, intelligence-sharing, protection of ports and offshore assets, and coordination between maritime and land-based security agencies.
Under the post-attack security framework, the Navy has overall responsibility for maritime security. The Coast Guard is responsible for coastal security in territorial waters, working alongside state marine police responsible for near-shore patrolling.
Lessons from previous exercises
The fourth edition, held in November 2024, involved more than 21 agencies across six ministries, over 550 surface assets and 60 air sorties, according to the defence ministry.
A preparatory assessment also covered more than 950 critical coastal locations, including ports, fishing landing centres and coastal police stations.
Sea Vigil 2024 preceded the Navy’s wider theatre-level operational readiness exercise (Tropex), which evaluates warfighting preparedness. However, no corresponding sequence has been confirmed for 2026.
The Navy’s latest announcement did not disclose the dates for Sea Vigil 2026 or details of participating ships, aircraft and exercise scenarios. The New Delhi conference marks a preparatory stage aimed at strengthening coordination ahead of the exercise.