Exercise Sea Vigil 26, the Indian Navy's nationwide coastal defence exercise, has entered its planning stage. Its Main Planning Conference was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Vice Admiral AN Pramod, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS).

Representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Military Affairs attended, along with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, the Indian Coast Guard and the Border Security Force sent their officers. So did the Department of Fisheries, the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. State Maritime Security Coordinators and officials from state administrations completed the table.

Exercise Sea Vigil 26 talks centred on inter-agency coordination

According to the Indian Navy, the deliberations focused on inter-agency coordination, operational synergy and preparedness. The Navy said the meeting reaffirmed a whole-of-government approach to strengthening India's coastal defence architecture and maritime security.

No single agency guards the coast. The Navy, the Coast Guard, state marine police, port authorities, customs and fisheries departments each hold part of the task, and Sea Vigil tests them together. The Coast Guard's recent record shows the range of that work, from the interception of an Iranian dhow carrying narcotics west of Lakshadweep in September to its plan to field medium altitude long endurance drones for surveillance at sea.

Dates for Exercise Sea Vigil 26 have not been announced yet.

Sea Vigil was conceived after the 26/11 attacks

Sea Vigil was conceived in 2018 to test the coastal security measures put in place after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which the attackers reached the city by sea. After 26/11, the Navy and the Coast Guard were given operational responsibility for coastal security.

The first edition ran on 22 and 23 January 2019. It covered the full coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone, involved all 13 coastal states and Union Territories, and drew in fishing and coastal communities. It was described at the time as the largest coastal defence exercise held off the Indian coast, with both seaward and shore-based monitoring.

The debrief of that first edition, in April 2019, was chaired by the then DCNS, Vice Admiral MS Pawar. Feedback from it went to the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security.

Sea Vigil 24 brought in the Army and the Air Force

The last edition, Sea Vigil 24, was the fourth. It was held on 20 and 21 November 2024 and involved six ministries and 21 organisations and agencies, according to the Ministry of Defence. The Army and the Air Force took part as well, as reported at the time, and the exercise covered a coastline of 11,098 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone of around 2.4 million sq km.

The 2024 edition focused on the security of coastal assets such as ports, oil rigs, single point moorings, cable landing points and coastal infrastructure, including the coastal population. Energy security has stayed on the Navy's agenda since, and featured at the Naval Commanders' Conference in September under Operation Urja Suraksha.

Over 950 coastal locations audited in 2024

Before the tactical phase, a Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase ran for about a week. It covered more than 950 critical coastal locations, including fish landing centres, lighthouses, major and non-major ports, coastal police stations, offshore assets and other vulnerable points. The tactical phase that followed lasted 36 hours and ended on 21 November 2024.

Vice Admiral AN Pramod took over as DCNS in August

Vice Admiral AN Pramod assumed charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff on 1 August 2026, succeeding Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti. He served as Director General Naval Operations from December 2023 to July 2026, a period that covered Operation Sindoor and maritime security operations during the West Asia crisis.

Commissioned in July 1990, he is a Category A Sea King operations officer and a communication and electronic warfare specialist. He has commanded INS Utkrosh, the naval air station at Sri Vijaya Puram, and served as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024 and the Yudh Seva Medal in 2025.