The Indian Coast Guard will conduct a large-scale maritime search-and-rescue drill off Odisha’s Paradip coast, deploying ships, aircraft and state and civil assets to simulate mid-sea emergencies and test the country’s emergency response system. The exercise is part of SAREX-2026, the Coast Guard’s biennial National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise.
The sea-based drill, described as the first of its kind on Odisha’s coast, follows the inauguration of SAREX-2026 in Bhubaneswar by Union minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth on Wednesday. Seth said the exercise was designed to test and strengthen the coordinated response mechanism for maritime emergencies by bringing maritime, aviation and civil agencies onto a common platform.
The exercise will involve 15 Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three advanced light helicopters, one Chetak helicopter, an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft and Mi-17 aircraft. Two Indian Navy ships will also participate, along with state and civil assets and shore-based support units.
The scale of the deployment is intended to replicate the operational complexity of a large maritime emergency, where rescue agencies must locate, reach and assist people at sea while coordinating information across air, water and shore-based command systems. The exercise will also provide a platform to assess how quickly different agencies can share information and mobilise assets during a crisis.
Coast Guard director general Paramesh Sivamani described SAREX-2026 as one of the largest and most complex search-and-rescue exercises conducted in the region. The event has drawn 32 observers from 30 countries, giving it an international dimension as maritime emergencies frequently require coordination across national boundaries.
Sivamani said future search-and-rescue operations would depend on greater technological integration, real-time information sharing and seamless collaboration among multiple agencies. He identified enhanced vessel tracking, stronger distress-alert management, data-driven decision-making and faster mobilisation of response assets as critical areas for improving outcomes during emergencies.
The National Maritime Search and Rescue Board, the apex national body responsible for reviewing preparedness across India’s 4.6-million-square-kilometre Search and Rescue Region, also met in Bhubaneswar. The board discussed measures to strengthen national and international search-and-rescue frameworks.
The exercise places Odisha’s coast within a wider maritime safety system that includes rescue coordination centres, defence and aviation assets, state authorities, port and maritime stakeholders and international partners. Its outcome will be assessed through the coordination and deployment of these agencies during the simulated emergency operations off Paradip.
