India Hosts First BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
India is hosting its inaugural BIMSTEC maritime security exercise aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and operational coordination among member nations.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : India is hosting the first BIMSTEC maritime security exercise in the capital of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Port Blair. The Ministry of External Affairs announced that this initiative aims to strengthen maritime cooperation and enhance operational coordination and interoperability among member nations.
The exercise commenced on October 30 and will run until November 3, 2026. It is one of the key initiatives announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the sixth BIMSTEC summit held in Thailand last year.
The event features a three-day tabletop exercise followed by a two-day harbor phase, with ships from BIMSTEC member countries participating.
In a social media post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs stated, “This exercise operationalizes the shared vision of BIMSTEC leaders. It will enhance maritime cooperation, improve operational coordination and interoperability, and contribute to creating a safe, secure, and stable maritime environment in the Bay of Bengal.”
The inaugural ceremony was conducted by Vice Admiral Vineet McCarthy, Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, on Friday. Senior delegations from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka also attended the event alongside the National Maritime Security Coordinator, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta.
According to a post from the Andaman and Nicobar Command, this exercise, based on the Delhi Declaration, marks a significant step towards translating shared commitments on maritime security into coordinated actions at sea. Its objectives include enhancing interoperability, strengthening information-sharing processes, and promoting a collective response to maritime threats and international challenges, including terrorism.
The exercise aims to increase maritime domain awareness, establish operational coordination in the Bay of Bengal, bolster regional security cooperation, improve humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations, and develop capabilities to address transnational maritime crimes and pollution from oil or hazardous substance spills.
BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, is a regional organization comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. In recent years, BIMSTEC has emerged as an active and dynamic regional organization, with member countries sharing a vision for a free, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region.
