India Launches Massive Coastal Defence Exercise Sea Vigil-24

 Exercise Overview & Scale

• Fourth edition of Exercise Sea Vigil-24 scheduled for November 20-21, 2024
• Unprecedented participation: 6 ministries and 21 organizations involved
• Covers entire 11,098 km coastline and 2.4 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone
• Includes Indian Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Customs
• Large-scale deployment of ships and aircraft planned
• First-time participation of National Security Council Secretariat officials
• Conceptualized in 2018 post-26/11 Mumbai terror attacks

Security Infrastructure & Evaluation

• Coastal Defence & Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase began October 2024
• Naval Officers-in-Charge conducting thorough infrastructure audits

Focus on protecting critical coastal assets:

• • Ports and oil rigs
  • Single Point Moorings
  • Cable Landing Points
  • Vital coastal infrastructure
• State Marine Police, Coast Guard, and Customs conducting joint assessments
• Comprehensive evaluation of maritime security framework
• Serves as precursor to biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX)

Community Engagement & Strategic Importance

• Emphasis on community awareness and participation:
  • Local fishing communities involved
  • Coastal population engagement
  • NCC students participation
  • Bharat Scouts and Guides inclusion
• Covers all coastal states and Union Territories including:
  • Lakshadweep
  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Aims to strengthen maritime security awareness
• Enhances coordination between stakeholders