New Delhi: A two-day Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach for the state of Kerala and UT of Mahe was conducted from April 18-19, 2023 under the aegis of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, who is also designated as the Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence (South).

The exercise was aimed at evaluating the threats emanating from sea and validate the effectiveness of Coastal Security mechanism. The exercise was conducted in coordination with all coastal security stakeholders such as Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Police, Customs, Fisheries, Minor Ports, Intelligence agencies, Cochin Port including fishing and coastal communities.

As part of the exercise, real time threats and contingencies were simulated to assess the preparedness level of the coastal security agencies. Enhanced security measures were instituted and the entire coastline was kept under strict surveillance and monitoring. Deployment of coastal security apparatus including ships, patrol crafts and aircraft of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other maritime security agencies were undertaken in the territorial waters and adjoining seas. Naval aircraft based at INS Garuda undertook extensive surveillance off the coast of Kerala.

The exercise witnessed close coordination among all coastal security stakeholders and good synergy. Lessons learnt from the exercise would be incorporated to improve the robustness of the coastal security setup.