SAREX-2026: Coast Guard tests mass-rescue response off Paradip with 30 nations watching

Odisha: The Indian Coast Guard conducts the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off the Paradip coast on October 8, testing India’s ability to respond to a complex mass-casualty emergency at sea. The exercise simulates a passenger aircraft carrying 228 people ditching at sea, followed by the aircraft fuselage hitting the container vessel MV Zumba, causing structural damage and fire.

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Held under the aegis of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board, SAREX-2026 focuses on the theme “Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety.” The drill brings together the Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, coastal police, ports, shipping agencies and civil authorities to test coordinated response and interoperability during a large-scale rescue operation.

The exercise deploys 15 Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters, a Chetak helicopter, IAF C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft, two Indian Navy ships and multiple civil and state assets. The scale is intended to test how quickly different agencies can mobilise, share information and coordinate rescue resources during simultaneous maritime and aeronautical emergencies.

SAREX-2026 also has a significant international component, with 32 observers from 30 countries witnessing the exercise. The participation is aimed at strengthening international interoperability, cooperative search-and-rescue protocols and the exchange of best practices, reinforcing India’s role as a regional maritime safety partner.

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Alongside the exercise, the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting reviews preparedness across India’s 4.6-million sq km Search and Rescue Region. Discussions focus on technological integration, real-time information sharing, distress-alert management, vessel tracking and faster mobilisation of rescue assets.

The exercise therefore goes beyond a routine rescue drill, testing a technology-enabled, whole-of-government response architecture for maritime emergencies. The Coast Guard says lessons from such exercises are intended to improve operational readiness and support a faster and more coordinated search-and-rescue framework under India’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR maritime vision.

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