India hosts multinational naval tabletop exercise in Kochi as it assumes IONS chairmanship
New Delhi, March 29. The Indian Navy conducted a high-level multinational maritime tabletop exercise at the Maritime Warfare Centre under the Southern Naval Command in Kochi on March 27, bringing together naval representatives from across the Indian Ocean Region to address emerging non-traditional maritime security threats.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on March 29, the exercise, titled IMEX TTX 2026, was organised under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and saw participation from Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Timor-Leste, along with officers from the Indian Navy and international officers of IOS SAGAR. The broad participation reflected a shared regional commitment to strengthening maritime cooperation and trust.
The event also assumes added significance as India begins its tenure as chair of IONS for the 2026-2028 cycle after a gap of 16 years, marking a renewed leadership role in shaping maritime collaboration in the region.
Held in a simulated operational environment, the tabletop exercise examined complex maritime security situations in the Indian Ocean – a region central to global trade, energy supply routes and connectivity. The deliberations focused on enhancing mutual understanding of operational approaches, identifying constraints faced by navies, and refining coordination mechanisms such as information sharing and joint decision-making.
The exercise also served as a platform to test and validate existing IONS maritime security guidelines through practical scenarios, allowing participants to explore coordinated responses without the logistical constraints of live deployments.
By encouraging professional exchange and dialogue, the exercise reinforced the relevance of IONS as a platform for cooperative maritime engagement and regionally driven solutions to shared challenges. The lessons drawn from IMEX TTX 2026 are expected to contribute to further strengthening the IONS framework and promoting a more stable and responsive maritime environment in the Indian Ocean Region.
