Indian Navy Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, on Wednesday, emphasised the need for preparedness of the Indian armed forces and other civil departments through Sea Vigil 24 exercise to ensure the safety and security of the country's maritime borders.
"As you are aware, the Indian Navy is the lead agency for the maritime defence and security of the country, and this particular exercise aims to see what is the present mechanism that we have in terms of our coastal defence, examine the existing infrastructure and in case there are any shortcomings or loopholes, (we will) try to buildup this infrastructure, so that we never have a situation like 26/11 again," the Rear Admiral said.
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, he added.
Since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Indian Navy has been tasked as the lead agency for maritime security, and Sea Vigil 24 serves as a vital step in ensuring coordination across Central and state security agencies for effective coastal defence.
The Indian Navy concluded Phase I of the Sea Vigil 24 by completing the Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) at more than 50 locations across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with an aim to examine the strengths and identify shortcomings of the Coastal Security construct, the TN & Puducherry Naval Area said in a tweet.
"Led by #IndianNavy, Joint Teams comprising of Reps. from #IndianCoastGuard, SIB, Marine Police and Customs carried out CDSRE from 04 Oct till 19 Oct at various Marine Police Stations, Light Houses, Major & Minor Ports, Fishing Harbours, FLCs & FLPs," it said.
The two-day exercise covers the entire 11,098 km coastline of India, involving six Central ministries, 21 Central and State agencies.
This year, the exercise sees the participation of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, highlighting the integrated approach to coastal and maritime security.