Coordinated Patrol
Also called: CORPAT · Topic: State, Government and Governance: Organs, Levels and the Citizen · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) is a patrol at sea that two navies plan together and carry out at the same time. Each navy keeps its own ships under its own command. The two sides agree on the area and timing, and they share information as they patrol. CORPAT is not created by any Article or Act. It rests on agreements between the two countries, such as MoUs (written understandings between governments). It matters because it moves cooperation beyond training. The two navies are actually present at sea together, guarding against threats such as piracy (robbery at sea) and other crimes at sea.
Example
In November 2026, India's indigenous destroyer INS Surat reached Muscat for the 15th edition of Naseem Al Bahr, the India–Oman naval exercise. A CORPAT between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman was planned to follow it. The two navies thus moved from practising together to patrolling together.
Don't confuse with
- Joint naval exercise: an exercise such as Naseem Al Bahr is a training and interaction event, with harbour and sea phases. A CORPAT is a separate, real patrol that may follow it.
- Joint patrol: in a joint patrol, ships from both navies sail together as one force. In a CORPAT, each navy runs its own ships and only the planning and timing are shared.