ICGS Vigraha Begins Jakarta Visit to Boost India–Indonesia Maritime Cooperation

Both India and Indonesia oversee vast Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and manage heavy maritime traffic across strategically vital sea lanes such as the Malacca Strait.

As part of its ongoing overseas deployment to ASEAN nations, Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vigraha arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, for an operational visit from December 02–05, 2025. The visit forms a key component of India’s growing maritime engagement in the Indo-Pacific and highlights the increasing importance of Coast Guard–to–Coast Guard cooperation in ensuring regional safety, security and environmental protection.

During the three-day port call, personnel from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Indonesian Coast Guard (BAKAMLA) will participate in a comprehensive programme that includes professional interactions, tabletop exercises, shipboard drills, joint training sessions, and maritime familiarisation activities. These engagements aim to deepen cooperation, improve mutual understanding, and sharpen operational readiness in shared areas of responsibility.

Focus on Maritime Security and Operational Interoperability

Both India and Indonesia oversee vast Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and manage heavy maritime traffic across strategically vital sea lanes such as the Malacca Strait. Accordingly, the joint activities are centred on three critical domains:

• Maritime Law Enforcement

• Marine Pollution Response

• Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR)

Enhanced training and coordinated drills will allow both Coast Guards to improve interoperability in addressing a wide range of maritime challenges, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, arms and drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, maritime accidents, and environmental hazards.

A Passage Exercise (PASSEX) will be conducted during ICGS Vigraha’s departure, focusing on improving communication protocols, manoeuvring coordination, and seamanship skills—key elements of operational cohesion between the two maritime forces.

Strengthening Institutional Ties and People-to-People Contact

The visit also includes courtesy calls, reciprocal ship visits, joint yoga and sports events, and professional exchanges at maritime academies and operational centres. These interactions strengthen the human element of maritime cooperation, building camaraderie and trust among personnel—essential ingredients for successful joint operations.

As major maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, India and Indonesia share a strong commitment to upholding a Rules-Based International Order (RBIO). Coast Guard collaboration forms a practical mechanism to translate this shared vision into sustained operational outcomes through coordinated surveillance, joint response frameworks, and routine enforcement activities.

MoU-Driven Partnership and Expanding Cooperation

A central pillar of this partnership is the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ICG and BAKAMLA, which institutionalised structured cooperation in:

• Maritime law enforcement

• Coordinated patrols and joint response

• Search and Rescue

• Pollution control and environmental protection

• Information sharing

• Capacity building and professional training

Since the signing of the MoU, bilateral cooperation has expanded significantly through regular high-level exchanges, cross-deck training, port visits, coordinated patrols, and participation in ASEAN-led maritime security initiatives.

Indonesia remains an active participant in the ICG’s capacity-building programmes, while visiting ICG ships, including ICGS Vigraha, have facilitated joint drills and tactical exchanges, enhancing shared maritime capability.

Continuing the ASEAN Deployment

Following the completion of its Jakarta engagement, ICGS Vigraha will sail to Port Klang, Malaysia, as part of its extended operational deployment. The mission is designed to strengthen India’s maritime partnerships, enhance regional preparedness, and contribute to peace, stability, and good order at sea across the wider Indo-Pacific.

ICGS Vigraha’s deployment reaffirms India’s commitment to working with ASEAN partners to maintain a secure, cooperative, and sustainable maritime environment—reflecting India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).