News Highlight
The third edition of the ‘pan-India’ coastal defence Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-22’ is scheduled to be held on November 15 and 16, the Navy said on Monday.
Key Takeaway
- The Exercise was conceptualised in 2018 to validate various measures instituted towards enhancing maritime security since ‘26/11’.
Exercise ‘Sea Vigil
- About
- Coastal Security being a significant sub-set of the Coastal Defence construct, the concept of ‘Sea Vigil‘ is to activate the Coastal Security apparatus across India and assess the overarching Coastal Defence mechanism.
- Geographical Extent
- It is undertaken along India’s entire 7516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- Coordinating Force
- It is coordinated by the Indian Navy and involves all 13 coastal states and union territories, fishing and coastal communities, and other maritime stakeholders.
- The conduct is being facilitated by the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Shipping, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Fisheries, Customs, State Governments and other agencies of the Centre/ State.
- Aim
- To check the efficacy of the measures initiated to plug gaps in coastal security following the Mumbai terror attack in 2008.
- The conduct of a security exercise at the national level is aimed to serve a larger purpose.
- It provides an opportunity to assess preparedness in maritime security and coastal defence.
- Significance
- The entire coastal security set-up was reorganised after the 26/11 Terror attack at Mumbai, which was launched via the sea route.
- Sea Vigil and TROPEX cover maritime security challenges, including a transition from peace to conflict.
- The first Sea Vigil exercise
- first Sea Vigil exercise was held in 2019.
- TROPEX
- TROPEX is Tropical Level Readiness and Operational Exercise.
- It is an inter-service military exercise that involves the participation of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and Indian Navy.
- It is generally held at the beginning of the year.
- The exercise is held to test the combat readiness of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard.
- The first TROPEX was held in 2005.
What is Exclusive Economic Zone?
- An Exclusive Economic Zone is an area in the sea where a sovereign state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.
- The Exclusive Economic Zone is demarcated according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Content Source: The Hindu