The Indian Ministry of Defence announced the conclusion of Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, a four-day multinational maritime security training engagement held at Southern Naval Command, Kochi from July 20-23, 2026. The exercise was conducted by the Indian Navy in partnership with Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) under the aegis of Southern Naval Command and the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154.
The engagement brought together 276 personnel from 27 countries, supported by 76 facilitators and Subject Matter Experts, with participation from four international organizations. The program generated 3,800 training man-hours through a combination of professional discussions, simulator-based instructions, and practical training. Key training areas included Maritime Domain Awareness and Information Sharing, Maritime Law, Counter-Narcotics, Force Protection Measures, Asymmetric Threats, Maritime Uncrewed Systems, and Operational Sea Training.
Specialist international organizations including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMO IMLI) provided domain-specific training alongside Indian Navy elements such as the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) and CMF components including the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC). Practical training covered Damage Control and Firefighting, maritime communications, Survival at Sea, and Boarding procedures, including sea training onboard Indian Naval ships.
The exercise strengthened interoperability, professional networks, and operational confidence among participating nations while contributing to regional capacity-building and collective maritime security. It demonstrated the Indian Navy's modern training infrastructure, state-of-the-art simulators, advanced instructional methodologies, and professional expertise, reinforcing the Indian Navy-CMF partnership and underscoring the Indian Navy's leadership of CTF 154.