Exercise Sea Vigil-24 aims to identify any loopholes in India's coastal defence: Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 20 (ANI): Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, Flag Officer Commanding, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, on Wednesday said that the fourth edition of the biennial coastal defence exercise titled Sea Vigil-24 is aimed at identifying any loopholes in India's coastal defence mechanisms.

"This exercise aims to examine what our coastal defence mechanisms are and also to identify any loopholes or shortcomings which exist so that we can plug them before the next exercise and also before any intrusion takes place via sea," Rear Admiral Dhingra told ANI.

The Sea Vigil-24 is being held on the Kerala and Lakshadweep coasts on Wednesday and Thursday (November 20 and 21.

Dhingra said that Sea Vigil-24 is a pan-India exercise where all the agencies are coming together to ensure maritime defence.

"This is the fourth edition being conducted this year. This is a pan-India exercise where all the agencies are coming together to ensure that the maritime defence and the coastal security of the nation are at their peak. .. The exercise will put our people to the test, who are simulating various requirements for this exercise," Dhingra said.

"It would also mean, in case of an actual emergency, we would be adequately prepared to handle it... ICG and the Indian navy work very closely with the fisheries department and any kind of weather change is conveyed on time," he added.

The fourth edition of Sea Vigil spans an unprecedented scale, both in terms of geographical reach and the magnitude of participation, with the involvement of 06 Ministries and 21 Organisations/ agencies, as per an official release.

The Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase of the exercise have been conducted by the Naval Officer-in-Charges of all coastal states and Union Territories (including Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Island) since the end of October 24, wherein a thorough audit of complete coastal defence and security infrastructure is being carried out, the release stated.

This year, National Security Council Secretariat officials are also part of Indian Navy-led CDSRE teams for the first time, along with personnel from the State Marine Police, Coast Guard, Customs, Fisheries, etc.

Originally conceptualised in 2018, Sea Vigil was designed to validate and enhance measures adopted to bolster Coastal Defence, post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Encompassing the entire 11,098 km coastline and a vast Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.4 million square kilometres, this comprehensive exercise will engage complete coastal security infrastructure and all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing community and coastal populace, simultaneously.

One of the aims of the exercise is to raise awareness amongst coastal communities about maritime security, and thus, the involvement of fishing communities, the coastal populace, and students from NCC and Bharat Scouts and Guides will add to the fervour of the endeavour, the release stated. (ANI)