Indian Coast Guard, Navy boost aviation collaboration in Synergy Meeting

Officials deliberated on critical areas such as training programs, flight safety protocols, and future asset acquisition to bolster India's maritime aviation capabilities

In a significant step towards enhancing maritime air operations, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Indian Navy held a high-level Synergy Meeting at the Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ) in New Delhi on Thursday, said the ICG.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) [ACNA (Air)] and the Deputy Director General (Aviation) [DDG (AV)] of the ICG. Key discussions revolved around strengthening jointmanship, interoperability, and coordinated air operations between the two forces.

Officials also deliberated on critical areas such as training programs, flight safety protocols, and future asset acquisition to bolster India's maritime aviation capabilities.

"Synergy Meeting between @IndiaCoastGuard & @indiannavy Aviation Divisions was held on 12 Jun 25 at #CGHQ, #NewDelhi, co-chaired by ACNA (Air) & DDG (AV). Focused discussions on Jointmanship, Interoperability, Air Ops, Training, Flight Safety & Asset Acquisition marked a significant stride in maritime air collaboration," ICG said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, ICG has reported substantial progress in their efforts to control the fire aboard the Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which has been ablaze in the Arabian Sea, approximately 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore, Kerala.

In a post on X on Thursday, the ICG stated that it has successfully air-dropped 4,000 kilograms of dry chemical powder (DCP) to combat the metal fire in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

According to an official release from the Ministry of Defence, the vessel, which caught fire off the Kerala coast on June 9, continues to drift southeast within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), approximately 42 nautical miles from Beypore, Kerala.

The vessel was carrying 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, posing a serious risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes.