Chennai: The Navy along with the Coast Guard successfully conducted the Coastal Defense Exercise ‘Sea Vigil’ in close coordination with all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities from 22 to 23 January.
The mega exercise undertaken along the entire 7516.6 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone of India with over 30 ships and aircraft of Indian Navy and Coast Guard as well as 85 patrol boats manned by various security agencies participated in the exercise at West Bengal , Odhisa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnandu and Puducherry is the first of its kind, a press release said.
During the exercise, all coastal police stations and control rooms, fishing harbours and landing centres, port control rooms, and other operational centres of Navy and Coast guard were fully activated. Security was beefed up at all vital installations/ assets and SPM’s off Visakhapatnam, Paradip and KG Basin.
Audit of International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code was carried out by ports. On similar lines all agencies concerned with maritime security assessed their own organisations to identify gaps and address them on priority.
Additionally, multi-agency teams also evaluated the security set up implemented by agencies at fish landing centres, police control rooms and ports amongst others. Critical areas and processes including inter-agency coordination, information sharing and technical surveillance were also assessed. Multi-agency audit and identification of gaps/shortfalls in coastal security construct were also checked, the release said.