India Naval Exercise with African Nations: The Indian Navy is preparing for its most one of the biggest naval exercises with African nations next month, marking a major step in defense system under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MAHASAGAR vision. The announcement came from PM Modi’s recent visit to Mauritius where he revealed this new framework for engagement with the Global South, formally titled “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.”
Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, revealed that the Indian Navy and Tanzania Peoples Defence Force will jointly host the exercise dubbed “AIKEYME” – short for Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement – off the coast of Dar-es-Salaam in mid-April. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh himself will inaugurate the landmark event.
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“The exercise will focus on VBSS (visit board search and seizure) drills, arms firings, helicopter operations, seamanship evolutions, search and rescue missions, among others,” Vice Admiral Sobti told, reported by TOI. He added that “there will also be table-top and command post exercises on anti-piracy operations and information-sharing,” highlighting the comprehensive nature of the upcoming drills.
India Naval Exercise with African Nations
This six-day maritime engagement will see participation from 9 African nations alongside the host countries –
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Seychelles
- South Africa
They have all confirmed their participation. The exercise will unfold in two distinct phases.
The harbor phase will concentrate on classroom-style training including detailed table-top exercises and command-post simulations focused on counter-piracy operations and intelligence sharing. This will be complemented by hands-on seamanship training.
The subsequent sea phase will transition to live drills at sea involving complex maneuvers, search and rescue operations, weapons firing, helicopter deployments, and specialized VBSS procedures.
The AIKEYME exercise represents a significant scaling up from current cooperation levels which have primarily involved information exchange and coordinated surveillance to address shared maritime security concerns like piracy, illegal trafficking, and unregulated fishing activities in regional waters.
In a parallel development, the Indian Navy is rolling out its groundbreaking “Indian Ocean Ship Sagar” (IOS Sagar) initiative designed to foster deeper maritime collaboration across the Indian Ocean Region. The centerpiece of this effort will be INS Sunayna which will embark on an unprecedented deployment with a truly multinational crew composition.
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“Forty-four personnel already undergoing training at Kochi from Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa will join INS Sunayna when it sets sail from Karwar on April 5,” Vice Admiral Sobti explained. The month-long mission will include strategic port calls at Dar-es-Salaam, Nacala, Port Louis, Port Victoria and Male, along with joint surveillance operations in the Exclusive Economic Zones of Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius and Seychelles.
The foreign personnel will first complete an intensive two-week training capsule at various naval schools in Kochi before joining the deployment. Vice Admiral Sobti emphasized the cultural significance of the exercise name, noting that “‘AIKEYME’, meaning unity in Sanskrit, embodies the spirit of this initiative to enhance interoperability with African navies.”
