EXERCISE SEA VIGIL - DEFENCE AND SECURITY
News: Coastal defence exercise to validate security measures post-26/11 attacks begins today
What's in the news?
● The third edition of the pan-India coastal defense exercise Sea Vigil, conceptualized to validate various post-26/11 maritime security measures, will be conducted.
Key takeaways:
● The
exercise will see the activation of the entire coastal security apparatus
across nine states and four Union territories of the country to conduct drills
on peace and wartime contingencies.
● The
two-day exercise is being conducted by
the Indian Navy in coordination with
the Indian Coast Guard and ministries and agencies involved in the tasks of
maritime activities.
● In addition to the Ministry of Defence, the other stakeholder entities include the Ministries of Home Affairs, Ports Shipping and Waterways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Customs, and other government agencies.
Sea Vigil:
● Exercise
Sea Vigil is a Coastal Defence Exercise
conceptualized in 2018 to validate various measures that have been instituted
towards enhancing maritime security since ‘26/11’.
● The exercise will be undertaken along the entire 7516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone of India.
Aim:
● To provide a realistic assessment of India’s strengths and weaknesses and thus will help in further strengthening Maritime and National Security.
Conducted by:
● Indian Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and other ministries entrusted with the task of maritime activities.
Participants:
● All the Coastal States and Union territories along with other maritime stakeholders.
Significance of the exercise:
● The
exercise is a build-up towards the major Theatre
Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), which the Indian Navy
conducts every two years.
● Sea Vigil and TROPEX together will cover the entire spectrum of Maritime Security challenges.
Key takeaways:
● Verification
and monitoring of a large number of fishing vessels in India has been greatly
eased by the creation of the online ReALCraft
(Registration and Licensing of Fishing Craft).
● The
process of installing transponders on sub-20 meter boats commenced with a pilot
project in Tamil Nadu for 5,000 vessels.
● To
allay the concerns of fishermen, the transponders with GPS have been modified
into a two-way communication system.
● An
Automatic Identification System (AIS)
was made compulsory for all vessels above 20 metres after the 2008 terrorist
attacks in Mumbai.
● Trials
were conducted in association with the ISRO on one of their communication
satellites last year along the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.