KOCHI: A dramatic water survival demonstration at INS Garuda on Tuesday highlighted the Indian Navy’s focus on building inter-operability among partner navies as Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, a four-day multinational maritime security engagement, continued at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
Hosted under the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154) in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the exercise has brought together 254 participants from 26 countries, supported by 74 facilitators, four international organisations and subject matter experts.
The highlight of the second day was a demonstration at the Navy’s water survival training facility, established in August 2013 after a review of a 2003 Sea King helicopter accident underscored the need for specialised escape and survival training following ditching at sea.
The facility, among the earliest of its kind outside the US and the UK, trains naval aviators and air crew in underwater escape techniques, survival procedures and emergency response. It also serves as the primary training base for ISRO’s human spaceflight crew recovery teams.
Foreign participants described the facility as one of the finest for such training.
“Conducting the programme in India enabled partner nations to train together, fostering common operating procedures and greater coordination during multinational maritime operations,” a New Zealand Navy officer said. It was his second visit to India to undergo the same training.
“The Indian Navy had invested in the capability early and continued to upgrade its training infrastructure, making it a valuable platform for professional learning. Also, training in the Indian Ocean Region, which holds immense strategic interest for all nations, is very ideal and an important one, given the geopolitical events of late,” a Royal Navy officer said. The pr ogramme will conclude on Wednesday with practical demonstrations at INS Dronacharya.