SAREX-2026
Why in News?
- SAREX-2026 is in the news because the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is conducting the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off the Paradip coast in Odisha.
- Inaugurated by the Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, it is recognized as one of the largest and most complex mass rescue drills ever executed in the region, featuring vast international and domestic participation.
Key Information
- Host and Organizer: The exercise is hosted by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
- The Core Theme: It simulates a Mass Rescue Operation (MRO)—a rare and critical class of emergency where the number of victims significantly exceeds the standard capacity of local rescue assets.
- The Hypothetical Drill Scenario:
- A simulated passenger aircraft ditches at sea with 228 people on board.
- Simultaneously, the situation escalates into a secondary disaster involving a collision with a container vessel named MV Zumba.
- This forces aviation and maritime disaster systems to respond to concurrent emergencies on the open water.
- Massive Fleet Mobilisation: The drill deploys a extensive fleet of multi-agency forces:
- Indian Coast Guard: 15 ships, 2 Dornier aircraft, 3 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), and a Chetak helicopter.
- Indian Air Force (IAF): A C-130J Super Hercules tactical transport and an Mi-17 helicopter.
- Indian Navy: Two frontline ships.
- Civil & State Assets: Local government vessels and shore-based support medical units.
- Strong International Footprint: The event includes 32 international observers from 30 different countries, acting as a platform to test global interoperability and cooperative rescue protocols.
- Strategic Alignment: The framework aligns directly with India’s overarching maritime visions: SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and MAHASAGAR.
- Coinciding High-Level Meeting: Parallel to the sea-phase drills, the ICG is convening the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting in Bhubaneswar to brainstorm digital upgrades, tracking technology, and faster inter-agency mobilization.
