The Indian Navy on Thursday concluded Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, a four-day multinational maritime security training engagement at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, bringing together participants from 27 countries to strengthen regional maritime cooperation and interoperability.
Conducted in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) under the aegis of the Southern Naval Command and the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, the exercise witnessed the participation of 276 personnel from 27 countries, supported by 76 facilitators and subject matter experts, along with representatives from four international organisations.
The training programme, held from July 20 to 23, was inaugurated by Rear Admiral Deepak Singhal, Chief Staff Officer (Training), Headquarters Southern Naval Command, in the presence of Commodore Dan Thomas, Deputy Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, senior naval officers and delegates from participating nations.
The concluding ceremony featured a closing address by Commodore Milind M. Mokashi, Commander of CTF 154, presentation of certificates to facilitators and a valedictory address by the Chief Staff Officer (Training).
The exercise focused on enhancing professional knowledge and operational preparedness through classroom discussions, simulator-based instruction and practical training. Sessions covered key areas such as Maritime Domain Awareness, information sharing, maritime law, counter-narcotics operations, force protection measures, asymmetric threats, maritime uncrewed systems and operational sea training.
Training inputs were provided by experts from the Indian Navy, including the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), CMF’s Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), as well as international organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMO IMLI).
Participants also underwent practical training in damage control and firefighting, maritime communications, survival at sea, boarding procedures and sea training aboard an Indian Naval ship. The hands-on sessions enabled participating nations to exchange operational experiences and best practices while strengthening professional networks.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the four-day engagement generated nearly 3,800 training man-hours and contributed to regional capacity-building by improving operational confidence and interoperability among participating maritime forces.
The successful conduct of Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 also showcased the Indian Navy’s modern training infrastructure, advanced simulators and professional expertise. The exercise further reinforced the partnership between the Indian Navy and the Combined Maritime Forces while highlighting Southern Naval Command’s role as a premier centre for professional maritime training and India’s leadership of Combined Task Force 154.
