India, US Coast Guard Hold Joint Exercise Off Chennai Coast

The United States (US) Coast Guard Cutter Midgett's four-day goodwill mission to Chennai came to an end on Monday, according to the Indian Coast Guard. 

The USCG ship engaged in professional VBSS exchanges, Cross Deck visits, and volleyball matches with Indian Coast Guard counterparts from 16 to 19 September.

On Monday, a joint exercise called "Abhyas-01/22" was carried out off Chennai. The drill's primary objectives were to better the working relationship between both Coast Guards and familiarise them with each other's capabilities in order to improve interoperability in the areas of maritime search and rescue, boarding operations, and other maritime law enforcement activities.

One of the exercise's high points was the scenario of a vessel being hijacked and then having its crew rescued as part of a coordinated collaborative action between the two nations to combat piracy.

The other highlights of the exercise are the interception of a pirated vessel, a coordinated joint boarding operation, a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) demonstration, and external fire-fighting to save burning ships, according to the official statement.