Team Goemkarponn
DABOLIM: Goa’s coastline is set for heightened maritime security activity as the Indian Navy, in coordination with key state and central agencies, conducts the biennial nationwide coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil 2026’.
Briefing media persons at the INS Gomantak Conference Hall on Thursday, Captain James John of the Goa Naval Area Headquarters said the exercise was being conducted simultaneously across all coastal states, with the Indian Navy serving as the lead agency.
Conceptualised in 2018 to validate coastal security measures introduced after the 26/11 terror attacks, Sea Vigil serves as an important build-up to the Navy’s major Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX).
The exercise brings together several stakeholders, including the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs, Mormugao Port Authority, Fisheries Department, Intelligence Bureau and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Captain John said the exercise was divided into two phases. The first phase, the Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE), commenced on November 9 and will continue until November 17.
During this phase, two eight-member Joint Audit Teams comprising representatives of participating agencies are inspecting security arrangements and operational preparedness across North and South Goa.
The inspections cover fish landing centres, coastal police stations, major and minor ports, Vulnerable Areas and Vulnerable Points (VAs/VPs), customs offices and lighthouses.
The exercise will enter its tactical phase on November 18 and 19, involving the live deployment of ships, boats, aircraft and security personnel. Forces will be divided into an attacking ‘Red Force’ and a defending ‘Blue Force’ to assess real-time response capabilities along the Goa coastline.
Security personnel will rehearse responses to simulated threats, including terrorists hijacking fishing boats to land ashore, covert attacks on vital coastal installations, merchant vessel hijackings near port limits and drone attacks.
The tactical exercise will also feature Indian Navy helicopter operations on Coast Guard ships and simulations of various port security emergencies.
Captain John said the primary objective of Sea Vigil 2026 was to activate the entire coastal defence mechanism simultaneously, assess technical information-sharing systems and identify existing security gaps to further strengthen maritime security along Goa’s coastline.
Following the briefing, naval officials showcased a mock drill in the deep-sea area for media representatives, providing a demonstration of the operational preparedness and response mechanisms involved in the exercise.
