India’s Participation in Exercise Sea Dragon 2026 and Recent Joint Defence Drills
The Indian Navy is currently engaged in Exercise Sea Dragon 2026, a high‑profile anti‑submarine warfare (ASW) exercise. Conducted throughout March at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the drill brings together maritime forces from the United States, India, Japan Maritime Self‑Defense Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Key Developments
- US‑led, multinational ASW training – Focuses on speed, accuracy and coordinated mission execution.
- Strategic aim – Enhances interoperability and strengthens anti‑submarine capabilities in the Indo‑Pacific.
- Participating forces – Indian Navy ships and aircraft, Japanese maritime units, and New Zealand’s P‑8I patrol aircraft.
Other Notable Joint Exercises (2025‑2026)
India has been active across a spectrum of bilateral and multilateral drills, each reinforcing different aspects of defence cooperation.
- MILAN 2026: The 13th edition concluded on 25 February 2026 aboard the indigenous carrier INS Vikrant off Visakhapatnam. The theme ‘Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration’ saw participation of 42 ships/submarines and 29 aircraft.
- Malabar: Conducted in November 2025 in the Northern Pacific’s Guam, reinforcing Quad maritime coordination.
- Yudh Abhyas 2025: Held from 1‑14 September 2025 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, covering heliborne ops, UAV surveillance, mountain warfare and integrated artillery‑air‑EW drills.
- Varuna 2025: Took place off Goa (19‑22 March 2025), underscoring Indo‑French naval ties.
- Dharma Guardian 2025: Conducted at East Fuji, Japan, following the 2024 edition in Rajasthan.
- Dustlik 2025: Held at Pune’s Foreign Training Node (16‑28 April 2025).
- Passage Exercise (PASSEX) 2025: Indian Navy’s INS Tabar, a submarine and P‑8I aircraft joined the UK Carrier Strike Group in the North Arabian Sea on 9‑10 June 2025.
- Nomadic Elephant 2025: Conducted in Ulaanbaatar (31 May‑13 June 2025).
- Mitra Shakti 2024: Held at Maduru Oya (12‑25 August 2024).
UPSC Relevance
Defence exercises feature prominently in GS‑2 (International Relations & Defence). They illustrate:
- India’s strategic alignment with the Quad (US, Japan, Australia) and other partners, crucial for questions on Indo‑Pacific security.
- Operational readiness in ASW, a domain where China’s submarine fleet is expanding.
- India’s emphasis on interoperability, joint logistics and combined training, which are often asked in essay and answer‑type questions.
- Understanding the purpose and outcomes of each exercise helps answer MCQs on bilateral/multilateral defence cooperation (e.g., Mitra Shakti, Yudh Abhyas).
Way Forward
For aspirants, it is essential to track:
- Future editions of Exercise Sea Dragon and its impact on regional anti‑submarine capabilities.
- Expansion of MILAN to include more Indo‑Pacific partners.
- Integration of new platforms such as indigenous carriers, UAVs and maritime patrol aircraft in joint drills.
- Policy implications for India’s maritime doctrine, especially the “Act East” and “Indo‑Pacific” strategies.
Staying updated on these exercises will aid in answering both factual MCQs and analytical questions on India’s defence diplomacy.