India hosts maiden Op Southern Readiness in Kochi, 26 nations join maritime exercise
The Indian Navy's Southern Naval Command hosted the first edition of Operation Southern Readiness (26-2) in Kochi, a four-day multinational maritime training exercise
The exercise brought together 254 personnel from 26 nations, along with 74 facilitators, subject-matter experts, and delegates from four international organisations, including a session led by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Training modules covered ship handling, astro-navigation, maritime law, counter-narcotics operations, damage control, firefighting, distress communications, and simulator-based instruction
The exercise was conducted under Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), the training arm of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which the Indian Navy currently commands
Hosting the exercise in Kochi is the first time India has held a CTF 154 training activity domestically, reflecting its expanded role within the CMF framework
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154)
The Combined Maritime Forces is a multinational naval partnership established in 2001, initially by 12 countries, to counter terrorism and promote maritime security; it has since grown into a 47-nation partnership headquartered at Manama, Bahrain, and covers roughly 3.2 million square miles of international waters. CMF operates through several Combined Task Forces with distinct regional and functional mandates: CTF 150 (maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and wider Indian Ocean), CTF 151 (counter-piracy), CTF 152 (Arabian Gulf security), CTF 153 (Red Sea and Gulf of Aden security), and CTF 154 (training and capacity-building, established May 2023).
Key Details
- India joined CMF as an Associate Partner in 2022, announced at the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, and has since progressed to full participation, including task force command roles
- The Indian Navy assumed command of CTF 154 on 11 February 2026 at a change-of-command ceremony in Manama, Bahrain — the first time the Indian Navy has led a CMF task force
- CTF 154 is dedicated to training and interoperability building among CMF partner navies, distinct from the operational/interdiction focus of CTF 150-153
- The Indian Ocean carries roughly two-thirds of global oil shipments and about a third of global bulk cargo traffic, underscoring the strategic weight of maritime security cooperation in the region
Operation Southern Readiness in Kochi is the first CTF 154 training exercise conducted on Indian soil since India took command of the task force, converting India's command role into a hosting and training role for partner navies.
India's Maritime Doctrine — SAGAR and the Indian Ocean Region
India's principal articulation of its Indian Ocean strategy is "Security and Growth for All in the Region" (SAGAR), announced in March 2015. SAGAR frames India as a "preferred security partner" and "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), emphasising inclusive, non-hegemonic maritime cooperation, capacity-building for littoral and island states, and collective response to non-traditional security threats such as piracy, trafficking and disaster relief.
Key Details
- SAGAR's core pillars include maritime security, economic and infrastructure cooperation, disaster response, and regional connectivity across the IOR
- India's other flagship multinational naval engagement is Exercise MILAN, a biennial exercise begun in 1995 at Port Blair with four participating navies; MILAN 2026 (13th edition, Visakhapatnam) drew participation from 74 friendly foreign countries
- Multilateral platforms distinct from CMF include the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and bilateral/plurilateral exercises such as Malabar (India-US-Japan-Australia)
- CMF/CTF 154 is a training- and interoperability-focused multinational framework headquartered outside India (Bahrain), whereas MILAN is an India-hosted exercise — the distinction UPSC often tests between India-led and India-participating multinational maritime engagements
Hosting Operation Southern Readiness operationalises the SAGAR doctrine's aim of positioning India as a regional training and capacity-building hub, complementing India-led platforms like MILAN with India's new role inside the CMF/CTF 154 structure.
- Operation Southern Readiness 26-2: 4-day exercise, Kochi (Southern Naval Command), July 2026
- Participation: 254 personnel from 26 nations; 74 facilitators/experts; delegates from 4 international organisations
- CMF: established 2001, 47-member naval partnership, headquartered Manama, Bahrain
- India's CMF status: Associate Partner since 2022; assumed command of CTF 154 on 11 February 2026 (first Indian Navy task force command in CMF)
- CTF 154: established May 2023, dedicated to training and capacity-building among CMF partner navies
- SAGAR doctrine: announced March 2015, frames India as a "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean Region
- MILAN 2026 (13th edition, Visakhapatnam): 74 friendly foreign countries participated