Indian Coast Guard holds the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise off the Paradip coast

7 October 2026

SAREX-2026, the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise, is being organised by the Indian Coast Guard, with the inauguration on 7 October 2026 and the search and rescue demonstration off the Paradip coast on 8 October 2026.
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth is to inaugurate the exercise, and the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting is to be held at Bhubaneswar under the chairmanship of Director General Paramesh Sivamani.
32 observers from 30 countries are taking part, underlining international cooperation in search and rescue.
The exercise deploys 15 Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters and a Chetak helicopter.
Two Indian Navy ships take part, with Indian Air Force C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft in support, along with civil and State assets and shore-based support units.
The scenario simulates the ditching of a passenger aircraft at sea with 228 persons on board and its impact with the container vessel MV Zumba, creating concurrent maritime and aeronautical emergencies.
The stated aim is a faster, technology-enabled and internationally connected search and rescue framework with better distress-alert management.