Tri-nation table top naval exercise ‘Shield’ held at WNC Mumbai

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 16 (ANI): A tri-nation tabletop anti-narcotics and maritime search and rescue exercise, ‘Exercise Shield’, was held between Indian and Sri Lankan Navies and Maldives National Defence Force through virtual mode.

The tabletop exercise and simulation were held virtually on July 14 and 15 which was coordinated by Maritime Warfare Centre (MWC) in Mumbai.

According to a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing), anti-narcotic operations and maritime search and rescue are the important issues that were deliberated by the participants who share a unique geographic location, sitting astride the major shipping routes of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

“The exercise was focused on enhancing maritime security cooperation and mutual understanding, exchange of best practices/procedures for countering common trans-national maritime crimes such as narcotics smuggling, evolving modalities for exchanging information/intelligence and to assist each other in maritime search and rescue,” it said.

The two-day exercise commenced with the opening address by Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Chief Staff Officer (Operations), Western Naval Command, Mumbai. Rear Admiral Prasanna Mahawithana, Director General Operations, Sri Lanka Navy, and Colonel Ibrahim Hilmy, Area Commander- Maldives National Defence Force to have participated in the inaugural session. (ANI)