Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, a four-day multinational maritime security training exercise, commenced on July 20, 2026 at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, Kerala. The exercise brings together 254 participants from 26 countries under the aegis of the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154) in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). This is the first time India is hosting the Operation Southern Readiness series, marking a significant milestone in the deepening engagement between the Indian Navy and the world’s largest multinational naval partnership.
What Is the Combined Maritime Forces?
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, comprising 47 member nations as of 2026. Its headquarters is located at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Manama, Bahrain, co-located with the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.
The CMF was established to promote security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, encompassing some of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. Its main focus areas include counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, encouraging regional cooperation, and promoting a safe maritime environment. It is commanded by a US Navy Vice Admiral, with a UK Royal Navy Commodore serving as Deputy Commander.
The CMF operates through five dedicated task forces:
| Task Force | Area of Focus |
|---|---|
| CTF 150 | Maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean |
| CTF 151 | Counter-piracy operations |
| CTF 152 | Maritime security in the Arabian Gulf |
| CTF 153 | Maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden |
| CTF 154 | Maritime security training and capacity building |
India has been a member of the CMF for several years. The CMF is a voluntary coalition of the willing. Member nations contribute based on their capacity, ranging from deploying warships to providing liaison officers at the Bahrain headquarters.
Understanding CTF 154 and India’s Leadership Role
Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154) was established in May 2023 as the CMF’s dedicated training task force. Unlike the other CMF task forces that focus on active maritime security operations, CTF 154 is specifically oriented toward training and capacity building of member nations.
Its training is organized around five core pillars: Maritime Domain Awareness, Law of the Sea, Maritime Interdiction Operations, Maritime Rescue and Assistance, and Leadership Development. The task force conducts regular Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET) events, exercises like Compass Rose and Northern/Southern Readiness, and outreach programmes to build partner nations’ operational capabilities against common threats such as illegal trafficking, piracy, and irregular migration.
In a landmark development, the Indian Navy assumed command of CTF 154 for the first time on February 11, 2026. The change of command ceremony was held at CMF Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, where Commodore Milind M Mokashi, Shaurya Chakra, formally took over as Commander CTF 154 from the Italian Navy. The ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Curt A. Renshaw, Commander of CMF and US Naval Forces Central Command.
India’s assumption of CTF 154 command reflects the growing trust among CMF nations in India’s professional expertise and its role as a Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region. CTF 154’s core staff consists of personnel from Canada, Egypt, Jordan, Seychelles, Turkey, and the United States.
Operation Southern Readiness 26-2: Scope and Training Programme
Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 is being conducted from July 20 to 23, 2026, making it the first edition of this training engagement to be hosted on Indian soil. The exercise brings together 254 participants from 26 countries, supported by 74 facilitators and representatives from four international organizations including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The opening ceremony featured addresses by Commodore Milind M Mokashi (Commander CTF 154), Commodore Dan Thomas (Deputy Commander, Combined Maritime Forces), and Rear Admiral Deepak Singhal (Chief Staff Officer, Training, Headquarters Southern Naval Command). The speeches emphasized professional training, shared learning, and multinational cooperation in addressing contemporary maritime security challenges.
Training Modules
The programme combines classroom instruction, simulator-based training, and practical operational exposure across several domains. Participants receive training in Maritime Law and legal frameworks governing the seas, Maritime Domain Awareness and information sharing, Counter-Narcotics operations, and Force Protection against asymmetric threats. The curriculum also covers Maritime Uncrewed Systems and emerging technologies, Damage Control and Firefighting, Ship Handling, Navigation, and Astro Navigation, Maritime Distress Communication Systems, and Survival at Sea and Boarding Procedures. A significant component includes hands-on training onboard Indian naval ships.
A key session on the opening day was delivered by the UNODC, which addressed maritime security threats in the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean. Participants received practical exposure using the Indian Navy’s state-of-the-art simulators and training infrastructure at the Southern Naval Command.
Scale and Participation
| Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| Participating countries | 26 |
| Total participants | 254 |
| Facilitators and instructors | 74 |
| International organizations | 4 |
| Duration | 4 days (20-23 July 2026) |
This scale makes it one of the larger multinational maritime training engagements hosted by India in recent years.
Why This Matters for India’s Maritime Strategy
India’s leadership of CTF 154 and the hosting of Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 must be understood in the context of India’s broader maritime vision, encapsulated in the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) doctrine. The SAGAR vision, articulated by the Prime Minister, emphasizes India’s role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) , a domain through which a substantial share of global trade and energy shipments pass.
India’s Expanding Maritime Training Role
The Southern Naval Command, headquartered in Kochi, serves as the Indian Navy’s principal training command. It oversees a wide range of naval training establishments and has become a hub for training personnel from friendly foreign navies as India expands its defence diplomacy outreach. The command’s extensive infrastructure, state-of-the-art simulators, and maritime facilities make it well-suited for multinational capacity-building programmes.
Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 adds to a growing list of large-scale maritime engagements hosted or led by India. The MILAN exercise is the Indian Navy’s flagship multinational naval gathering, now one of the largest in the Indo-Pacific region. The IOS Sagar initiative operates under the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) framework, bringing together personnel from friendly foreign countries for joint training and maritime deployments. India also participates in the Malabar Exercise, a multilateral naval exercise with the US, Japan, and Australia under the Quad framework, alongside bilateral exercises such as Varuna (with France), SIMBEX (with Singapore), and AUSINDEX (with Australia).
Strategic Significance
The exercise assumes importance given the expanding maritime security challenges beyond traditional piracy. These include narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling, drone-based threats, cyber vulnerabilities, illegal fishing, and disruptions to critical shipping routes, particularly in the context of instability in the Red Sea and West Asia.
By hosting Operation Southern Readiness, India demonstrates its capability and willingness to provide professional maritime training to partner nations, reinforcing its standing as a preferred destination for naval training. This aligns with India’s broader goal of building interoperability and trust among regional navies to ensure the safety of sea lanes that are vital for global commerce and energy security.
Key Takeaways
- Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, a four-day multinational maritime security training exercise, commenced on July 20, 2026 at the Southern Naval Command, Kochi.
- The exercise involves 254 participants from 26 countries, supported by 74 facilitators and four international organizations.
- It is conducted under the aegis of CTF 154, the CMF’s dedicated training task force, which the Indian Navy currently commands.
- CTF 154 was established in May 2023, and the Indian Navy assumed its command on February 11, 2026 under Commodore Milind M Mokashi, Shaurya Chakra.
- The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership with 47 member nations, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.
- India’s SAGAR doctrine frames its role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region, and hosting such training engagements reinforces that position.
