Paradip: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Thursday conducted the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off the Odisha coast, demonstrating coordinated response capabilities for large-scale rescue operations at sea.
Held for the first time off the Odisha coast under the aegis of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB), the exercise was conducted with the theme ‘Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety’.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth inaugurated the exercise on Wednesday.
As many as 15 Coast Guard ships, three Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), a Chetak helicopter, an IAF C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft, two Indian Navy ships and several civil and state resources participated in the exercise, officials said.
The exercise, conducted around 45 km off the Paradip coast, brought together maritime and aeronautical agencies to demonstrate operational readiness, interoperability and coordinated response to mass rescue operations.
ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani reviewed the exercise, which was witnessed by 32 observers from 30 countries.
“The presence of representatives from 30 countries marks a significant step in international cooperation and reaffirms India’s role as a dependable maritime search and rescue partner in the region,” an official said.
The exercise involved the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Shipping Corporation of India, Directorate General of Shipping, Fisheries, Customs, Marine Police, Paradip Port Authority, and the Odisha government, among others.
The ICG said SAREX-2026 provided an opportunity to validate standard operating procedures, identify operational gaps, and incorporate lessons learnt into future search-and-rescue preparedness.
India’s maritime search and rescue framework has evolved significantly since the country acceded to the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979, in 2001 and constituted the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board in 2002, the ICG said.
Over the past five decades, the Coast Guard has undertaken 4,390 search and rescue missions, saved 11,897 lives and facilitated 530 medical evacuations, it said.
“SAREX-2026 reaffirmed the collective resolve of India and its international partners to build a faster, technology-enabled, and seamlessly coordinated Search and Rescue framework, in line with the vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the spirit of MAHASAGAR,” the ICG said, adding that the exercise reinforced the principle that every distress call must receive a coordinated response and every effort must be made to save lives at sea.