Colombo Security Conclave Table Top Exercise Ends at Visakhapatnam

A three-day Table Top Exercise, held under the Colombo Security Conclave, came to an end at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. The Ministry of Defence announced the conclusion on 12 September 2026. The exercise had opened on 9 September 2026. Rear Admiral Manoj Jha, Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at Eastern Naval Command, delivered the opening address. The subject of the drill was a 'Coordinated Response to Illicit Maritime Activities in the Indian Ocean Region'.

How the exercise ran

A table top exercise is fought on a map and a screen, not at sea. Officers work through a written situation and decide what each country would do. Delegations and maritime security experts from the member states of the Conclave took part. Observer nations joined them. The participants worked through simulated operational scenarios for more than 72 hours. The scenarios covered non-traditional threats rather than war between navies.

Threats the drill addressed

What the participants agreed on

The participants went through the existing Standard Operating Procedures together. They also simplified the arrangements by which the countries share information with one another. The aim of both steps is stronger collective Maritime Domain Awareness, which means knowing at any moment what is moving on the sea and why it matters. The exercise was placed within India's MAHASAGAR vision. The word stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. The Ministry described the drill as a restatement of the shared resolve of the Conclave countries to build peace, stability and prosperity in the region. For an exam candidate, the useful chain here is the name of the grouping, the host command, the port city, the theme of the drill and the vision it supports.