The Indian Navy conducted Exercise Eastern Wave off the Eastern Seaboard under the operational control of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. The objective of the exercise was to validate the processes towards assessing the preparedness of the Indian Navy to deal with the maritime security challenges of the region.
Ships, submarines, aircraft and special forces participated in this exercise. The XPOL was held in several stages, including war training in the actual scenario during the strategic phase and successful operation of various firing to confirm the Indian Navy's ability to reach the target during the weapon phase. With aircraft operating from various locations, continuous maritime area awareness was maintained throughout the area of the exercise. Apart from assets from the Eastern Naval Command, the exercise also involved assets from the Indian Air Force, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Coast Guard, indicating a very high level of interoperability between the forces.
During the exercise the participating forces learned valuable lessons in real life situations, further improving their preparedness to respond effectively to maritime challenges in the region. The successful completion of XPOL 2024 reaffirms the Indian Navy's resolve to address the growing security challenges in the maritime domain.