Goa’s coastline is set for heightened maritime security activity over the next week as the Indian Navy, along with key state and central agencies, conducts the biennial nationwide coastal defence exercise ‘Sea Vigil 2026’.
Captain James John of the Goa Naval Area Headquarters said that the exercise is being held simultaneously across all coastal states with the Indian Navy as the lead agency. Conceptualised in 2018 to validate coastal security measures put in place after the 26/11 terror attacks, the drill serves as a crucial build-up to the Navy’s major Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX).
The exercise brings together a wide network of stakeholders, including the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, Customs, Mormugao Port Authority, the Fisheries Department, the Intelligence Bureau, and the CISF.
Captain John further stated that the drill is divided into two phases.
The ongoing first phase, the Coastal Defence and Security Readiness Evaluation (CDSRE), began on November 9 and will continue until November 17. During this period, two eight-member Joint Audit Teams representing the participating agencies are inspecting security and operational preparedness across North and South Goa.
Their checks cover fish landing centres, coastal police stations, major and minor ports, Vulnerable Areas and Vulnerable Points (VAs/VPs), customs offices, and lighthouses. The action will intensify during the two-day Tactical Phase on November 18 and 19, which will see the live deployment of ships, boats, aircraft, and personnel. Forces will be split into an attacking ‘Red Force’ and a defending ‘Blue Force’ to test real-time response along the Goa coast.
During this phase, security personnel will rehearse countering simulated threats such as terrorists commandeering fishing boats to land ashore, covert strikes on vital coastal installations, merchant vessel hijackings near port limits, and drone attacks. The drill will also feature Indian Navy helicopter operations on Coast Guard ships and various port security emergencies.
Captain John noted that the primary objective of Sea Vigil 2026 is to activate the entire coastal defence mechanism at once, test technical information-sharing systems, and plug any existing security gaps to further strengthen Goa’s maritime borders. After the conference, naval officials showcased a mock drill in the deep-sea area to media persons.
