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The 11th edition of the Indian Coast Guard's (ICG) National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24) began on Thursday, November 28, with an aim to create a real-life scenario on the high seas for practicing rescue operations.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, who inaugurated the inaugural session of SAREX-24, said, "This is done once in two years by the Indian Coast Guard in collaboration with all national partners who are members of the National Maritime Assistance and Security Board. "This time they intend to do both seminars and table-top exercises and they also want to take the various agency representatives and representatives of various foreign countries--28 of them--to create a real-life scenario on the high seas where some kind of emergency happens, involving both ships and aircraft and then carry out rescue scenarios in that situation, looking at real-life challenges...," he added. Response operations to large-scale contingencies at sea, termed 'Mass Rescue Operation' (MRO), will be the essence of the 11th edition of SAREX-24. The theme of the exercise is "Enhancing Search and Rescue Capabilities through Regional Collaboration" to signify ICG's commitment and resoluteness to provide succour during large-scale contingencies regardless of location, Nationality or circumstances in the ISRR and beyond. On the first day, various programs, including Table Top Exercise, Workshops, Seminars, etc., involving participation of senior officials from the government agencies, ministries and armed forces, as well as various stakeholders and foreign delegates, will be conducted. On the second day of the event, the sea exercise involving two large-scale contingencies will be carried out off Kochi coast with the participation of ships and aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard, Navy, Indian Air Force, passenger vessels and tugs from the Cochin Port Authority and boats from the Customs. The first contingency will simulate distress on board a passenger vessel having 500 passengers on board, whereas the second scenario will depict the ditching of civil aircraft with 200 passengers. The response matrix in the sea exercise will involve various methodology to evacuate distressed passengers, wherein the advent of new-age technology using satellite-aided distress beacons, drones to deploy a life buoy, air-droppable life rafts, operation of remote-controlled life buoys, etc. will be demonstrated, the release added. The exercise is designed not only to evaluate efficiency of operations and coordination with national stakeholders but also to aptly focus on cooperative engagements with the littorals and Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs). (ANI)
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