Kolkata, Oct 29 — The Indian Navy has started preparations for the two-day high-intensity coastal security exercise Sea Vigil, scheduled to be held on November 18-19, 2026.
As part of a sensitisation campaign and community interaction programme, officials from INS Netaji Subhas in Kolkata travelled to Kultali in the South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal on Thursday.
The visit, conducted in coordination with the Department of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal, was for an interaction with the large fishing community at Kultali to raise awareness about the exercise, its significance towards coastal security in the current geopolitical scenario and their role as 'Eyes and Ears of the Nation'.
This will be the fifth edition of Exercise Sea Vigil. It was last held in November 2024. The nationwide exercise, spanning the entire 11,098 km coastline of India, had then involved six central ministries, 21 central and state agencies, and key stakeholders from across the maritime security apparatus.
Even the Army and the Air Force have participated in the exercise. They are expected to do the same this year. Exercise Sea Vigil is as close to the real thing as it can get.
Agencies entrusted with guarding vital assets are tested on their preparedness to tackle emergencies. During the 2024 edition, dud Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were planted within the Victoria Memorial campus in Kolkata and "armed" infiltrators had entered the port facility.
A waterborne "strike" was also attempted on defence shipbuilders Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. Security agencies are divided between Red and Blue teams. While the Red teams are the attackers, vital assets have to be protected by the others.
Exercise Sea Vigil is designed to bolster the security of India’s coastal assets, including ports, oil rigs, vulnerable areas (VAs), vulnerable points (VPs), and cable landing stations.
The focus is on India’s expansive coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), covering 2.4 million square kilometres; the exercise engages all levels of government and security forces, keeping in mind emerging threats.
The Indian Navy has been tasked as the lead agency for maritime security since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and Ex Sea Vigil serves as a vital step in ensuring coordination across central and state security agencies for effective coastal defence.
In addition to military and security forces, the exercise actively involves local communities, NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and fishermen to raise awareness about the importance of maritime security. This public engagement is key to creating a widespread sense of vigilance along India’s coastline.
West Bengal is of particular importance for the security agencies, given the vast expanse of the Sundarbans - the world's largest mangrove forest and delta - that is difficult to monitor by security forces.
Ex Sea 2026 Vigil validates Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and processes adopted by various agencies and the coordination between them in areas like intelligence sharing while safeguarding the country's maritime boundaries.