INS Sahyadri, Kulish conclude AIME-2026 after HADR, boarding and helicopter drills

New Delhi: INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish have concluded their participation in the second Asean-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) in the Philippines after harbour and sea phases involving maritime forces from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Held under the theme “Anchored in Trust, United at Sea”, the exercise combined operational planning ashore with coordinated drills at sea to improve interoperability between participating forces.

The sea phase included humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) and underway replenishment drills. The ships also conducted helicopter cross-deck landings, vertical replenishment and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), which required coordination between ships and aviation elements at sea.

Before sailing, participating forces held a tabletop exercise, operational synchronization and a pre-sail brief to align procedures for the sea phase. The harbour programme also included key leaders’ engagements, subject matter expert exchanges, sporting and cultural activities, yoga and community interaction.

The exercise began at Subic Bay on Monday. The defence ministry said its purpose was to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and interoperability through professional and operational engagement. The Philippine navy said AIME-2026 focused on “practical maritime cooperation and engagement”, including coordinated maritime security operations, joint training and exchanges of knowledge and best practices.

The Philippine navy also said AIME-2026 served as a capstone activity for the 2026 Asean-India year of maritime cooperation. The opening of the exercise and its planned operational phase were covered earlier by RNA Media.

Singapore’s defence ministry said the exercise also marked the first use at sea of the Information Fusion Centre’s Real-Time Information Sharing System 2.0 during an AIME, allowing participating vessels to exchange maritime-security information and coordinate around simulated vessels of interest.

This was the second AIME after the inaugural edition in 2023, when about 1,400 personnel aboard nine ships took part in the sea phase in the South China Sea. That edition involved INS Delhi and INS Satpura alongside ships from seven Asean countries.

INS Sahyadri is a Shivalik-class stealth multirole frigate, while INS Kulish is a Kora-class missile corvette. Their participation follows a separate ADMM-Plus maritime security activity at Subic Bay earlier in the deployment.

India has placed its participation within its Act East Policy and Mahasagar (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions). The conclusion of AIME-2026 leaves the emphasis on practical cooperation, with the boarding, replenishment, disaster response and aviation drills giving India and Asean maritime forces experience in coordinating real-world procedures at sea.