Visakhapatnam, November 11, 2026: The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are working closely with multiple maritime security agencies in Andhra Pradesh as part of preparations for Sea Vigil 2026, the fifth edition of the nationwide coastal defence exercise scheduled from November 11 to 19, 2026.
Ahead of the exercise, all major stakeholders responsible for coastal security in Andhra Pradesh conducted a comprehensive review of the state’s maritime security arrangements on October 22, 2026. The review was held under the aegis of the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh).
The review focused on assessing existing coastal security mechanisms, identifying operational challenges and strengthening coordination among various agencies responsible for safeguarding the state’s coastline.
As part of the ongoing preparations, the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are working alongside the Coastal Security Police, Fisheries Department, Ports authorities, Lighthouses, Customs and Immigration, Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB), intelligence agencies and the local fishermen community.
The joint efforts are aimed at evaluating operational parameters, improving multi-agency cooperation and streamlining information-sharing mechanisms to enhance maritime security.
The involvement of fishermen and coastal communities is particularly important, as they serve as an additional layer of surveillance along the coastline and can assist security agencies by reporting suspicious maritime activities.
Sea Vigil 2026 is being coordinated by the Indian Navy as the lead agency and will cover India’s entire coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone. The exercise involves all coastal states and Union Territories, bringing together various central and state agencies responsible for maritime security.
The exercise is being conducted in two phases. The Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE) phase will run from November 11 to 17, followed by the Sea Phase on November 18 and 19.
Originally conceptualised in 2018 following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Sea Vigil was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of measures introduced to strengthen India’s coastal security architecture.
The exercise also serves as a precursor to the Indian Navy’s biennial Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), which evaluates broader naval operational capabilities.
The coordinated preparations in Andhra Pradesh reflect the emphasis being placed on inter-agency cooperation, operational readiness and timely intelligence sharing to safeguard India’s maritime interests.
Through Sea Vigil 2026, participating agencies will assess their collective ability to respond to coastal security challenges and further strengthen India’s maritime defence preparedness.
