Operation Southern Readiness: Indian Navy to host CMF exercise in Kochi for the first time

New Delhi: The Indian Navy will host Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi from July 20 to 23. The exercise will be conducted in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational maritime partnership comprising more than 40 nations.

The programme is being held under Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), CMF’s dedicated training task force, which is led by the Navy. Personnel from CMF partner nations will take part in professional maritime security training aimed at building practical experience and exchanging best practices.

This marks the first time India has hosted Operation Southern Readiness, an annual CMF exercise previously held in locations including Seychelles and, earlier this year, Kenya. The Navy assumed command of CTF 154 from the Italian navy in February 2026. This exercise reflects its new leadership role within the task force, according to a report by the Combined Maritime Forces.

Training will combine classroom instruction, simulator-based sessions and hands-on exposure aboard Indian naval ships. Topics will include maritime law, maritime domain awareness, information sharing, counter-narcotics operations, force protection, and asymmetric threats.

Participants will also train in maritime uncrewed systems, damage control and firefighting, maritime communications, survival at sea, and boarding procedures.

The Navy said the exercise would showcase its training infrastructure, simulators and instructional methods, with the aim of improving interoperability and cooperation among participating navies.

The engagement also reinforces Southern Naval Command’s role as a training hub, and reflects the Navy’s growing contribution to multinational maritime training and its position within CTF 154’s leadership structure.