Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh will inaugurate the two-day  11th edition of Indian Coast Guard’s National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24)under the aegis of National Maritime Search and Rescue Board in Kochi starting Thursday, defence ministry said here on Wednesday.

Giving details, officials said Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Director General S Paramesh, who is also the National Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Authority, will be among the dignitaries attending the event.

The theme will be ‘Enhancing Search and Rescue Capabilities through Regional collaboration.’ It signifies ICG’s commitment to provide succor during large-scale contingencies regardless of location, nationality or circumstances in the Indian Search and Rescue Region and beyond.

 The first day of the event will feature various programmes, including table-top exercise, workshop & seminars involving participation of senior officials from government agencies, Ministries  and Armed Forces, various stakeholders and foreign delegates.

On the second day, the sea exercise involving two large scale contingencies will be carried out off the Kochi coast with participation of ships and aircraft of ICG, Navy, Indian Air Force, Passenger Vessel and Tug from Cochin Port Authority and boats from the Customs.

The first contingency will simulate distress onboard a passenger vessel having 500 passengers onboard, while the second scenario will depict ditching of civil aircraft with 200 passengers.

The response matrix in the sea exercise will involve various methods 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 buoy will be demonstrated.

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 countries.

Over the years, ICG has evolved as a premier maritime agency rightfully steering the government’s efforts towards a stable and effective Maritime Search and Rescue construct. An MoU was signed with Indian Ocean Rim Association member states for coordinating SAR in the Indian Ocean Region and ICG is the implementing agency.