NE DEFENCE BUREAU
CHENNAI, AUG 27
At sea, a rescue call does not wait for diplomatic language to be translated. A pollution emergency does not recognise national boundaries. And a maritime threat can move faster than bureaucratic procedures. That is why India and Vietnam are putting interoperability to the test — ship by ship, aircraft by aircraft and drill by drill.
@IndiaCoastGuard and the #VietnamCoastGuard successfully concluded the 2nd Edition of Joint Sea Exercise #SAHYOGHOPTAC.
Conducted off the #Chennai coast, 08 #ICG Ships and 6 Aircraft, along with VCG Ship #CSB8002, undertook joint maritime exercises aimed at enhancing… pic.twitter.com/AnfZRyslnt
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) August 27, 2026
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) on Thursday successfully concluded the second edition of their joint maritime exercise SAHYOG-HOPTAC off the Chennai coast, turning a bilateral partnership into practical operational coordination in the waters of the Indo-Pacific.
- A powerful maritime handshake: India and Vietnam conclude the second edition of SAHYOG-HOPTAC, deepening operational cooperation between their Coast Guards
- Eight ships, six aircraft, one mission: ICG and VCG combine sea and air assets to test coordination, interoperability and emergency response off the Chennai coast
- From search-and-rescue to law enforcement: The exercise builds on bilateral cooperation in maritime SAR, law enforcement and marine pollution response
- A stronger Indo-Pacific partnership: Exercise follows the 7th ICG-VCG High-Level Meeting in Chennai, reinforcing mutual trust, best-practice sharing and maritime security cooperation
The high-intensity engagement brought together eight ICG ships, six aircraft and Vietnam Coast Guard ship CSB 8002, with the exercise overseen jointly by the Director General, Indian Coast Guard, and the Vice Commandant, Vietnam Coast Guard.
The exercise is significant not merely for the assets deployed, but for what they represent: two maritime forces working towards a common operating rhythm in search and rescue, maritime security, law enforcement and emergency response.
From dialogue to decks: cooperation tested at sea
The exercise came immediately after the 7th High-Level Meeting between the Indian and Vietnam Coast Guards in Chennai on August 25, held under the framework of the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on Coast Guard Cooperation.
The High-Level Meeting, co-chaired by ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani and Vietnam Coast Guard Vice Commandant Major General Luong Dinh Hung, focused on strengthening cooperation in maritime search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine pollution response and capacity building.
The two sides also underlined the importance of regular institutional interaction, training, professional exchanges, sharing best practices and ship visits to strengthen mutual trust and operational cooperation.
SAHYOG-HOPTAC therefore gave those commitments a practical dimension — moving cooperation from conference rooms into the operational environment of the sea.
The Vietnam Coast Guard ship CSB 8002, accompanied by a six-member VCG delegation, had arrived in Chennai earlier for the High-Level Meeting and the joint exercise. The ICG said the engagement was aimed at strengthening operational cooperation through professional exchanges and sharing best practices in marine pollution response and maritime law enforcement.
Eight ships, six aircraft — and a common operating picture
The scale of the deployment underlines the operational character of the exercise.
With eight Indian Coast Guard ships and six aircraft operating alongside CSB 8002, the exercise created a platform for the two forces to enhance coordination across sea and air assets.
The drills were designed to refine tactical interoperability and streamline search-and-rescue operations, allowing both forces to standardise emergency procedures and build seamless coordination at sea.
For Coast Guards, such interoperability can be critical. Maritime emergencies often demand rapid information-sharing, coordinated movement, accurate communication and complementary use of ships and aircraft.
The exercise thus goes beyond ceremonial naval diplomacy. It is about developing the ability to respond together when lives, vessels or the marine environment are at risk.
The Indo-Pacific dimension
The India-Vietnam Coast Guard relationship carries significance beyond bilateral waters.
Both countries have repeatedly emphasised a free, open, safe and secure maritime environment, while their Coast Guards have steadily expanded cooperation through institutional dialogue, training and professional exchanges.
The High-Level Meeting in Chennai reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Vietnam to work together towards maritime safety, security and environmental sustainability in the region.
SAHYOG-HOPTAC strengthens that architecture by giving personnel from the two forces opportunities to understand each other’s procedures, operational practices and response mechanisms.
The result is a more familiar and potentially more effective partnership when real-world maritime contingencies arise.
A partnership built for real-world emergencies
The exercise also highlights the expanding role of Coast Guards in the contemporary maritime security environment.
Their responsibilities extend well beyond conventional patrolling. Search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine pollution response, protection of maritime interests and assistance to vessels in distress increasingly require forces to operate across national boundaries and coordinate with international partners.
India and Vietnam have been building precisely such cooperation.
The 7th High-Level Meeting called for sustained engagement through training programmes, professional exchanges, best-practice sharing and ship visits, while reaffirming the importance of interoperability.
The successful completion of SAHYOG-HOPTAC now adds operational experience to that institutional framework.
It also sends a wider message: maritime security is strongest when neighbouring and partner nations can communicate, coordinate and act together before a crisis becomes a catastrophe.
With the second edition of SAHYOG-HOPTAC successfully concluded off Chennai, India and Vietnam have strengthened yet another link in their growing maritime partnership — one designed not simply to sail together, but to respond together when the sea demands it.
