Trilateral Exercise 'Dosti-16' held in the Maldives

The 16th edition of the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka trilateral coast guard exercise 'Dosti-16' commenced on February 22nd in the Maldives. The 4-day exercise being conducted amid the scenic Maldivian islands also featured Bangladesh as an observer for the first time. We analyze the origins, evolution, objectives and significance of the 'Dosti' series of exercises between the Indian subcontinent's key maritime neighbours.

Genesis of the Dosti Exercises

The 'Dosti' exercises began in 1991 as a biennial bilateral maritime engagement between the Indian Coast Guard and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Conducted alternatively in India and the Maldives, the early iterations focused on fostering cooperation against illegal maritime activities like smuggling, enhancing search & rescue capabilities and strengthening technical skill sets and systems.

After two decades as a India-Maldives bilateral exercise, Dosti was expanded to a trilateral format when Sri Lanka joined the 12th edition in 2012. Sri Lanka's inclusion added fresh perspectives to the drill, aligning standard operating procedures while widening the scope to battle piracy, maritime terrorism and combat disasters like oil spills.

With Maldives' geostrategic location in the Indian Ocean, the Dosti series has evolved to become an important pillar of India's regional maritime outreach. The exercises also promote professional bonhomie, operational familiarization and interoperability between participating coast guards.

Objectives and Key Features

The central aims of the Dosti excercises remain sharing of best practices, honing inter-agency coordination while developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) through complex maritime multi-mission scenarios.

Key features include cross-deck helicopter landings, composite boarding operations, fleet manoeuvres, surface warfare drills and maritime interdiction exercises. Complex simulations of emergencies like piracy, oil spills, hijacks, terrorist attacks, mass evacuation and search-and-rescue prepare the forces for the full spectrum of contingencies.

Dosti fosters a climate of trust and understanding critical for joint relief efforts during cyclones, tsunamis, flooding - common to the region. Participating ships, aircraft and personnel also acquaint themselves with each other's capabilities, infrastructure and technologies - enhancing interoperability.

Cultural interactions, friendly sports and social engagements between the three forces promote camaraderie, cultural awareness while building bridges of friendship. 16 editions on, Dosti continues to be a shining example of regional cooperation through jointness.

Expanding Participation, Wider Linkages

Dosti acquired an expanded scope with the entry of Bangladesh as an observer for this 16th edition. Bangladesh's surveillance capabilities, technical expertise and seasoned battle experience in the bay brings immense value to the engagement.

Dosti amid the archipelagic islands of Indian Ocean also helps build Maldives’ readiness to tackle its unique maritime security challenges. Moreover, these exercises enhance crisis preparedness and mitigate disruptive non-traditional threats endangering economies and ecosystems in this region.

With Sri Lanka coming from turbulent times and the Maldives also strengthening its participation, Dosti leverages goodwill and influence to bring estranged partners onto common ground while boosting regional stability. With all nations equally invested, this collective readiness is key to the safety and well-being of island communities dependent on the seas.

The exercises also showcase India's role and commitment as a net security provider in this strategic oceanic space. Promoting regional prosperity through capacity-building exercises like Dosti is both a strategic investment and highly productive soft power projection for India. Plus it sends an affirming message of partnership and reliable support across erratic political regimes.

Conclusion

As Dosti-16 draws to a close, participants carry back invaluable lessons in responding to demanding real-world situations through unified efforts. By institutionalizing deeper maritime cooperation, the Dosti excercises foster fraternal ties critical to the safety and sustainability of economies in this region.

With Bangladesh's maiden participation broadening perspectives, Dosti goes from strength to strength in its quest to expand multilateral cooperation, enhance interoperability while strengthening time-tested bonds of friendship across the subcontinent's seafaring nations.