Indian Coast Guard’s SAREX-24 maritime exercise to begin today

The 11th edition of Indian Coast Guard’s National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24) will be held in Kochi, Kerala today.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh will inaugurate the event. The exercise is being held alongside the  22nd National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting.

The event will feature the largest ever  real time simulations aimed at honing the skills for effective Search and Rescue Operations and colloborative efforts among the regional and international maritime stakeholders.

Response operations to large-scale contigencies at sea will be the essence of the current edition of SAREX,  based on the theme “Enhancing Search and Rescue Capabilities



through Regional Collaboration.”

Today, various programmes which include Table Top exercises, workshops and seminars will be held, in which senior government and defence officials, various stakeholders and foreign delegates will participate. Tomorrow, a sea exercise involving two large-scale contingencies will be carried out off the coast of Kochi, with the participation of ships, aircraft and boats of the  Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Cochin Port Authority and Customs.

The exercise will  evaluate the efficiency of operations and coordination between national stakeholders, and also focus on cooperative engagements with littoral states and friendly foreign countries.