Multi-agency sea vigil exercise begins in Goa

The multi-agency military exercise – Sea Vigil 22 – began in Goa on Tuesday, a senior Naval official said.

The exercise covering India's 7,516 km-long coastline and exclusive economic zone aims at checking the preparedness of various agencies to deal with any eventualities and bolster overall maritime security.

This is the third edition of the exercise that was conceptualised in 2018 to validate various measures that have been instituted towards enhancing maritime security following the Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

“The exercise is planned over the next two days to establish a robust coastal defence and coastal security set-up alongside all the Central and state security agencies,” the Indian Navy spokesperson said.

Vessels of the Indian Naval and the Coast Guard along with aerial assets were deployed along the coast for a layered security setup. Goa state security police and Fisheries Department, along with CISF and Customs, are patrolling closer to the coast and maintaining an up-to-date maritime domain awareness, he added.

“Also, security audits of high-value assets and points are being undertaken during the exercise by various agencies to improve and enhance security setup along the Goa coast,” he said.