Indian Coast Guard to Conduct SAREX-2026 off Paradip Coast

The Indian Coast Guard will conduct the 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise, or SAREX-2026, off the Paradip coast on 7 and 8 October 2026. The exercise will include a Mass Rescue Operation scenario involving a passenger aircraft ditching at sea with 228 persons on board and a collision impact with the container vessel MV Zumba.

National Maritime Search and Rescue Framework

Search and rescue at sea in India is coordinated through the National Maritime Search & Rescue Board, which functions as the national mechanism for maritime distress response. The Indian Coast Guard serves as the national coordinating authority for maritime search and rescue operations under this framework.

Exercise Design and Participating Assets

SAREX-2026 will involve 15 Indian Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters, one Chetak helicopter, Indian Air Force C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft, two Indian Navy ships, civil and state assets, and shore-based support units. The exercise is planned as one of the largest and most complex maritime search and rescue drills in the region.

The drill will test concurrent aeronautical and maritime distress response, which is a standard feature of Mass Rescue Operations at sea. Such scenarios require coordination among naval, air, civil, and coastal response agencies.

International Participation and Coordination

The exercise will include 32 observers from 30 countries. Maritime search and rescue exercises with foreign observers are used to familiarise participants with cooperative protocols and interoperability in distress response.

Alongside the exercise, the Indian Coast Guard will host the 24th National Maritime Search & Rescue Board Meeting in Bhubaneswar. The meeting will be chaired by Director General Paramesh Sivamani, Director General, Indian Coast Guard.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Indian Coast Guard was established in 1977 and formally commissioned in 1978.
• The National Maritime Search & Rescue Board is the apex national body for maritime SAR coordination in India.
• Dornier aircraft are commonly used by the Indian Coast Guard for maritime surveillance and search missions.
• Mass Rescue Operations refer to incidents requiring immediate assistance for a large number of persons in distress at sea or in the air.

Search and Rescue in Maritime Security

Maritime search and rescue operations are part of coastal security and disaster response in India. The Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and civil authorities are key agencies involved in such operations.