AIME-2026 ASEAN-India Naval Exercise Opens at Subic Bay

The second edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise, held under the short name AIME-2026, got under way at Subic Bay in the Philippines on 28 September 2026. India has sent the naval ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish, and maritime forces drawn from the ASEAN member states are taking part alongside them.

The theme of the exercise

AIME-2026 carries the theme Anchored in Trust, United at Sea. Its declared purpose is to deepen mutual understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the Indian Navy and its ASEAN counterparts, and it does so through a mix of professional, operational and social engagements rather than gunnery drills alone.

Who opened it

At the opening ceremony the Guest of Honour was Harsh Kumar Jain, India's Ambassador to the Philippines, who addressed the maritime forces assembled for the drill.

How the exercise is built

The exercise runs in two parts. The Harbour Phase covers subject matter expert exchanges, sporting and cultural activities, community engagement and operational synchronisation, and it closes with a Pre-Sail Brief. The Sea Phase comes next, in which the participating navies carry out coordinated manoeuvres and operational serials on the water. That second leg is meant to sharpen professional understanding and operational coordination through practical training at sea.

The policy frame

The Ministry of Defence places the drill inside India's Act East Policy and the MAHASAGAR vision. MAHASAGAR is read as Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. Sending Sahyadri and Kulish is presented by the ministry as a sign that the Navy wants working maritime partnerships in the region, not ceremonial ones.

Why it matters for an aspirant

Exercise questions follow a fixed pattern, and this one supplies every part of it: the edition number, the host port and country, the theme, the two Indian ships and the policy the drill is tied to. Those six details are the ones a paper setter reaches for.