Maritime Security Belt
Trilateral naval exercise
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History
2019
The first edition of the exercise[b] began on 27 December 2019 and took four days. The area of operation was the northern part of the Indian Ocean.[1][2]
The units participating in the exercise included:[3]
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2020
The 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic of the COVID-19 virus
2021
China was absent in the second version of the exercise when it was started by Russia and Iran on 16 February 2021. It was later announced that the Indian and Chinese navies will also join, but eventually neither took part. On 18 February 2021, the official website of the Indian Navy issued a statement denying participation in the drill.[4] Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the Indian Navy had cancelled the plan at the last minute, because Tehran said China could join the exercise too and Indians did not want to be together with the Chinese due to recent border skirmishes.[5]
The units participating in the exercise included:[6]
2022
The third version of the exercise was held from 18 January 2022, with a sea phase starting on Friday the 21st[7] over an area of 17,000 square kilometres (6,560 square miles) in the northern Indian Ocean. It included a range of tactical exercises like putting out fires on burning vessels, releasing a hijacked vessel, and shooting at air targets at night.[8][9]
The units participating in the exercise included:[10]
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2023
The fourth edition of the exercise was held from March 15 for 4 days in the northern Indian Ocean.[11]
The units participating in the exercise included:
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2024
The 2024 edition of the exercise was held from 11 March 2024, with a sea phase between 12–14 March in the Gulf of Oman, and then a shore phase.[12] For the first time there were observers from other countries present (Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Oman, India and South Africa).[12]
The units participating in the exercise included:[12]
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2025
The 2025 edition of the exercise was held in March 2025, with a sea phase from Monday the 10th March in the Gulf of Oman.[13] Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the UAE, and Sri Lanka have sent observers to the drills.[13]
The units participating in the exercise included:[13]
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2026
The 2026 edition took place in second part of February 2026, in a view of an international tension and US deployment in the Gulf,[14] prior to Israeli-US aggression against Iran.
The units participating in the exercise included:
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