Kolkata: The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has geared up for the first edition of the BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise that will start at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) on October 30, 2026.
Assets from partner navies – Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand – will participate in the exercise. Bhutan and Nepal will also send representatives as these landlocked nations are heavily dependent on the Bay of Bengal for EXIM trade.
“The exercise will be held from October 30 to November 2. It will unfold in two phases. A harbour phase of professional exchanges and planning will build trust and understanding, and a sea phase will sharpen interoperability on the water. Together they turn a common vision for a safe, secure and stable Bay into coordinated action at sea,” the ANC has said.
The goals of the exercise are to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA), build operational coordination across the Bay of Bengal, strengthen regional security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and responses to cross-border maritime crimes as well as marine pollution due to oil and hazardous material spills.
Over the years, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic regional organisation. Member states share the vision of a free, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
They also pursue the goal of a prosperous, resilient and open Bay of Bengal Region under the BIMSTEC Charter and the Bangkok BIMSTEC Vision 2030.
The crisis in the Middle East, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, has highlighted how the established right of transit passage, enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is being violated.
“States bordering straits shall not hamper transit passage”, and “there shall be no suspension of transit passage”, Article 44 of UNCLOS says.
The Bay of Bengal connects South Asia to Southeast Asia, and a large share of global energy and trade flows through it. BIMSTEC serves as a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, with five members from South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka – and two from Southeast Asia – Myanmar and Thailand.
BIMSTEC nations have naturally attached high priority to maritime cooperation given the Bay of Bengal’s centrality to the organisation. They have taken initiatives to strengthen maritime connectivity through the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation that was signed at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok in April 2025.
Maritime security cooperation has focused on Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Oil Pollution Response, and related areas.
The BIMSTEC Expert Group on Maritime Security Cooperation has finalised guidelines for maritime law enforcement agencies to ensure effective coordination during interactions at sea. Under the MDA, there is a proposal to conclude the BIMSTEC White Shipping Agreement. India will soon present a draft for the consideration of the member states.
Recognising the severe economic and environmental consequences of marine oil spills, BIMSTEC has finalised guidelines for a coordinated regional oil spill response. Proposed initiatives include the development of a regional contingency plan, standardised emergency procedures, joint pollution response exercises, and capacity-building programmes to enhance preparedness.
Regarding HADR in the maritime domain, the Expert Group on Maritime Security has finalised BIMSTEC guidelines on the maritime component of HADR. The Bay of Bengal is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. A Plan of Action on Comprehensive Disaster Management has been finalised.
Four editions of the BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise have been held to strengthen joint operational capabilities. India has also proposed establishing a BIMSTEC Disaster Management Centre to serve as a focal point for coordinating regional HADR operations.
BIMSTEC has also been pursuing collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to enhance disaster response and resilience in the Bay of Bengal region.
“The Bay of Bengal binds our region’s security, trade and prosperity. The inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise brings partner navies and agencies together at Sri Vijaya Puram. Together, we chart the course for collective maritime wellbeing,” the ANC has said.
(IANS)
