Indian Navy to organise Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 in Kochi

Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 represents a significant milestone in India's maritime security architecture and its growing role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Scheduled from 20th to 23rd of this month at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, this four-day multinational exercise is conducted under the aegis of the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154 (CTF-154) in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 38-nation naval partnership headquartered in Bahrain. The CMF, established in 2001, operates under three primary task forces: CTF-150 (counter-terrorism and maritime security), CTF-151 (counter-piracy), and CTF-152 (Arabian Gulf security). India's leadership of CTF-154, established in 2023, marks a historic evolution — it is the first India-led task force within the CMF framework, focusing specifically on maritime security training and capacity building in the IOR. The strategic significance of this exercise cannot be overstated. The Indian Ocean carries nearly 75% of global maritime trade and 50% of daily oil consumption, making it the world's most critical trade artery. For India, with its 7,516 km coastline and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 2.37 million sq km, maritime security is directly linked to economic prosperity under Article 297 of the Constitution, which vests resources in the EEZ with the Union. The exercise aligns with India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine articulated by Prime Minister Modi in 2015, and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) launched in 2019, both emphasizing cooperative maritime security. Key stakeholders include the Indian Navy's Southern Naval Command (SNC), the training command headquartered in Kochi, which oversees the Indian Navy's largest training establishment. The SNC's role as host underscores Kochi's strategic importance — it sits at the crossroads of international shipping lanes connecting the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait. Participating nations likely include CMF members such as the US, UK, France, Japan, Australia, and regional partners like Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles, reflecting India's 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Act East' policies. The exercise will focus on interoperability in areas like visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations, maritime domain awareness (MDA), information sharing, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) — all critical for addressing non-traditional threats like piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing, and climate-induced disasters. Constitutionally, the exercise derives mandate from Article 245 (Parliament's power to make laws for the whole or any part of India) read with the Navy Act, 1957, and the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976. The latter implements UNCLOS 1982 provisions, to which India is a party, defining maritime zones and enforcement jurisdiction. The exercise also reflects India's commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2601 (2021) on maritime security and the 2050 Africa's Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS), given the IOR's connectivity to the African littoral. Broader themes include the evolving architecture of minilateralism in the Indo-Pacific — Quad (India-US-Japan-Australia), IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), and now CMF task forces — creating overlapping security frameworks. India's leadership of CTF-154 complements its role in the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram, established in 2018, which tracks over 75,000 vessels annually. Economically, secure sea lanes protect India's $1.2 trillion merchandise trade (FY24) and energy imports (85% oil, 50% gas by sea). Politically, it strengthens India's voice in global governance forums like the UN, G20, and IMO. Future implications are profound. As China expands its naval presence in the IOR through the PLA Navy's anti-piracy escorts since 2008 and the Djibouti base (2017), India's CMF leadership offers a rules-based alternative. The exercise may pave the way for a permanent Indian Ocean maritime security architecture under Indian leadership, potentially culminating in a regional coast guard forum or a binding code of conduct. For aspirants, this exercise exemplifies the convergence of defence diplomacy, international law, and strategic autonomy — a recurring theme in UPSC GS Paper II (International Relations), GS Paper III (Internal Security), and defence-specific exams.