INDIAN NAVY AND ROYAL NAVY OF OMAN CONDUCT 15TH EDITION OF BILATERAL MARITIME EXERCISE NASEEM AL BAHR (SEA BREEZE)

1. At a Glance

• Naseem Al Bahr ("Sea Breeze") is the bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO). The 15th edition was reported on 11 November 2026 [1].
• Its aims are interoperability, professional cooperation and mutual understanding between the two navies [1].
• The government places the exercise within its MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) [1].
• Why it matters for UPSC: Oman is officially called India's closest defence partner in the Gulf region, and defence is a main pillar of the India–Oman Strategic Partnership [3]. That makes the topic relevant to GS-II (IR) and GS-III (maritime security).

2. Why in the News

• The 15th edition was held by the IN and RNO and reported in a PIB release dated 11 Nov 2026 [1].
• The Indian Naval Ship Surat and the Royal Navy of Oman Vessel Al-Mu'azzar took part [1].
• The exercise ran in two phases. The harbour phase covered Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) in EOD, Mine Countermeasure Operations and Hydrography. The sea phase covered VBSS drills and cross-deck operations [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• Origin year: I could not confirm it from a whitelisted source. Secondary sites give 1993 and call the exercise biennial, but treat both as unverified.
• India–Oman diplomatic relations date to 1955 and were upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2008 [3].
• 2022 – 13th edition: INS Trikand (frigate), INS Sumitra (offshore patrol vessel) and a Dornier maritime patrol aircraft took part. The sea phase was off Oman, 19–24 Nov 2022. There were three phases: harbour, sea and debrief [2].
• 14th edition: No Tier 1/2 source was retrieved. Secondary sources mention an edition off Goa in October 2024, but their edition numbers conflict, so this is unverified.
• 2026 – 15th edition: Two phases (harbour and sea), framed under MAHASAGAR [1].
• Related mechanism: The first India–Oman Defence Industrial Seminar was held in Muscat in September 2023 [4].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Name	Naseem Al Bahr = "Sea Breeze" [1]
Type	Bilateral maritime (naval) exercise [1]
Participants	Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman [1]
Latest edition	15th, reported 11 Nov 2026 [1]
Previous documented edition	13th, Nov 2022, sea phase off Oman [2]
Indian ship (2026)	INS Surat [1]
Omani ship (2026)	RNOV Al-Mu'azzar [1]
Harbour phase	SMEE: Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Mine Countermeasure Operations, Hydrography [1]
Sea phase	Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) and cross-deck operations [1]
Policy framing	MAHASAGAR vision [1]
Indian ministry	Ministry of Defence (PIB release issued under MoD) [2]

Key terms

• Interoperability: the ability of two forces to operate together [1].
• SMEE: specialist teams of the two navies exchange professional knowledge and operational experience in niche areas [1].
• VBSS: a joint drill for boarding and searching a vessel [1].
• Cross-deck operations: personnel operating on each other's ships, which builds familiarity with each other's vessels and procedures [1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• Oman is India's closest defence partner in the Gulf, and defence is a core pillar of the 2008 Strategic Partnership [3].
• The exercise puts into practice the MAHASAGAR approach of engaging regional maritime partners [1].
• Oman sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, which are vital for India's energy imports and its diaspora. This is analytical context, not from a cited source.

Security / Operational

• VBSS drills apply directly to counter-piracy, anti-smuggling and maritime interdiction [1].
• EOD and Mine Countermeasures build capacity to keep sea lanes and harbours safe from mines and explosive threats [1].
• Cross-deck operations build the procedural familiarity needed for joint operations in a crisis [1].

Scientific / Technological

• Hydrography (charting the seabed and coasts) was one of the SMEE areas. It supports safe navigation and naval operations [1].
• The first Defence Industrial Seminar (Muscat, 2023) points to defence cooperation beyond exercises, towards industry [4].

Diplomatic / Institutional

• Naval exercises sit alongside wider defence engagement such as service-level staff talks [3].
• The exercise has run through at least 15 editions [1][2], which shows a sustained, institutionalised partnership.

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 11 Nov 2026: 15th edition of Naseem Al Bahr, with INS Surat and RNOV Al-Mu'azzar, held under MAHASAGAR [1].
• No other 2025–26 India–Oman defence events were retrieved from whitelisted sources. Secondary reports mention a Defence Secretary-level review in New Delhi in November 2025, but this is unverified on the whitelist.

7. Prelims Hooks

• Naseem Al Bahr means "Sea Breeze" [1].
• It is a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman, not a multilateral one [1].
• The 15th edition was reported in November 2026 [1].
• The 2026 participants were INS Surat (India) and RNOV Al-Mu'azzar (Oman) [1].
• The 2026 harbour phase featured SMEE in EOD, Mine Countermeasure Operations and Hydrography [1].
• The 2026 sea phase featured VBSS and cross-deck operations [1].
• VBSS stands for Visit, Board, Search and Seizure [1].
• MAHASAGAR stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions [1].
• The 13th edition (2022) had its sea phase off Oman, 19–24 Nov 2022, with INS Trikand, INS Sumitra and a Dornier aircraft [2].
• The 2022 edition had three phases: harbour, sea and debrief [2].
• India–Oman diplomatic relations were established in 1955 and became a Strategic Partnership in 2008 [3].
• Oman is officially India's closest defence partner in the Gulf region [3].
• The first India–Oman Defence Industrial Seminar was held in Muscat in September 2023 [4].

8. Why These Drills Match Real Missions in the Gulf of Oman

• The Gulf of Oman is already a real danger zone for Indian ships
• In June 2019, merchant ships were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The Indian Navy started Operation Sankalp to protect Indian-flagged ships going through the Strait of Hormuz [7].
• By the end of 2022 the Navy had sent 36 warships. They escorted about 361 lakh tonnes of cargo on 453 IFMVs (Indian-flagged merchant vessels, meaning ships registered in India) [8].

• So Naseem Al Bahr is practice for waters where the Indian Navy already works every day. It is not training for some distant, imagined war.

• The threat changed, and so did the job

• In 2024, Houthi attacks on shipping and a rise in piracy pulled more than 30 Indian ships into the western Arabian Sea. They responded to over 25 incidents [9].
• By November 2024 the Navy had escorted over 230 merchant vessels in total [9].

• Responding to piracy means boarding a suspect ship and searching it. That is exactly the VBSS drill practised in the 2026 sea phase [1].

• Why a partner on the other shore helps

• Escorting ships and boarding suspects work faster when the navy whose coast it is already knows your procedures.
• Cross-deck operations build that familiarity before a crisis, not during one [1].

9. Trade Now Depends on the Same Sea Lanes

• The CEPA made the economic stake much bigger
• The India–Oman CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a wide free-trade deal) was signed in Muscat on 18 December 2025 [6]. It came into force on 1 June 2026 [5].
• Oman gives zero-duty access on 98.08% of its tariff lines (the separate product categories on which a country sets import duty). These lines cover 99.38% of what India exports to Oman [6].

• Trade between the two countries reached USD 11.18 billion in FY 2025-26, up from USD 10.61 billion in FY 2024-25 [5].

• Why this matters for a naval exercise

• Lower duties only help if the goods arrive safely. Trade between India and Oman crosses the Arabian Sea.

• Defence was the main pillar of the partnership before 2025 [3]. Now it also protects a trade deal.

• The deal is not finished

• The CEPA only promises future talks on a Social Security Agreement (a deal so workers abroad do not pay social security twice) [6].
• So the large Indian workforce in Oman is not yet covered. Their safety in a crisis still falls back on evacuation and naval reach.

10. What the Press Release Does Not Show

• The 2026 edition was smaller than the 2022 one
• In 2022, India sent a frigate, an offshore patrol vessel and a Dornier aircraft. There were three phases, including a debrief [2].
• In 2026, India sent one ship, INS Surat. Oman also sent one, RNOV Al-Mu'azzar. There were only two phases [1].

• With no aircraft, the two navies did not practise air-sea search. That skill matters a lot for tracking pirate skiffs and suspect ships.

• Mine countermeasures were discussed, not practised at sea

• EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the safe disarming of bombs and mines) and Mine Countermeasure Operations were only part of the harbour-phase SMEE talks [1].

• Neither navy brought a specialist mine-hunting vessel. So the exercise built shared knowledge, not tested joint ability, in the skill that matters most if Hormuz is ever mined.

• The bigger access question is still unclear

• Duqm port is often cited as India's logistics foothold in Oman. On MEA's site, the claim that India can use Duqm for military logistics appears in a lecture summary [10].

• A lecture is not an agreement text. Our whitelisted search did not find a published access agreement.

• The institutions behind the ties are young

• The India–Oman Joint Maritime Committee met for the first time only on 23 February 2022, and that meeting was virtual [4].
• The exercise has 15 editions [1], but the bodies that are meant to turn drills into planned joint operations are still new.

11. What India and Oman Should Do Next

• The Navy should bring back aircraft and mine warfare at sea
• The 2022 edition had a Dornier maritime patrol aircraft [2]. The 2026 edition had none [1].

• Adding an aircraft and a sea drill on mine countermeasures would turn the harbour-phase SMEE talks into practised skill.

• Use the Joint Maritime Committee to link the drill to Operation Sankalp

• MoD and MEA can use the Joint Maritime Committee [4] to plan how the RNO and the Indian Navy would share escort work in the Gulf of Oman.

• Sankalp has already escorted hundreds of ships [8][9]. Planning together would make those escorts faster and cheaper.

• MEA and MoD should put the Duqm arrangement on the record

• Right now, Duqm access is supported mainly by a lecture summary [10].

• A clear public text would let planners count on Duqm for fuel and repairs.

• The Commerce Ministry should finish the Social Security Agreement

• The CEPA leaves it for later talks [6].
• Finishing it would make the partnership stronger on land as well as at sea, and protect the workers whose safety the Navy is meant to guarantee.

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: By end-2022, Operation Sankalp had deployed 36 warships and escorted about 361 lakh tonnes of cargo on 453 Indian-flagged merchant vessels [8]
• Data: India–Oman trade was USD 11.18 billion in FY 2025-26 [5]. Under CEPA, Oman gives zero duty on 98.08% of its tariff lines [6]
• Report/Committee: MoD Year End Review 2022 [8] and 2024 [9]. In 2024, more than 30 ships were deployed against Houthi attacks and piracy [9]. India–Oman Joint Maritime Committee, first met in February 2022 [4]
• Comparison: 13th edition (2022): three Indian platforms including an aircraft, plus a debrief phase [2]. 15th edition (2026): one ship each, two phases [1]
• Scheme: Operation Sankalp (since June 2019): escorts Indian-flagged ships through Hormuz. It is the working mission that Naseem Al Bahr drills support [7]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: India and its neighbourhood; bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India (India–West Asia/Gulf).
• GS-III: Security challenges and their management in border areas; maritime security.
• Possible question stems 1. "Oman has emerged as India's most dependable defence partner in the Gulf. Examine the strategic significance of India–Oman maritime cooperation in the context of the MAHASAGAR vision." 2. "Bilateral naval exercises are instruments of both deterrence and diplomacy. Discuss with reference to India's naval engagements in the Western Indian Ocean." 3. "How does India's naval outreach to Gulf littoral states serve its energy security and diaspora protection goals?"

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• SAGAR (2015) → MAHASAGAR: the vision this exercise is framed under; study how it evolved.
• India–Oman Strategic Partnership (2008): the diplomatic base of the defence ties [3].
• Duqm port and Indian naval access in Oman: logistics reach in the Arabian Sea.
• Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman chokepoints: the energy-security link.
• Other Indian Navy bilateral exercises in West Asia (e.g., with UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar): useful for comparison and matching-type MCQs.
• India–Oman army and air force exercises: to avoid mixing them up with the naval exercise.
• Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS): multilateral maritime frameworks.
• Mine countermeasure and EOD capability in the Indian Navy: the niche areas covered in the SMEE.

15. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Interoperability (Polity): The exercise's core stated aim: letting the Indian and Omani navies operate together using compatible procedures.
• SAGAR (Geography): MAHASAGAR, the vision this exercise sits under, extends India's 2015 SAGAR maritime outlook.
• Strait of Hormuz (Geography): Oman sits at this chokepoint; Operation Sankalp escorts Indian ships through it, carrying India's oil and LPG.
• Gulf of Oman (Geography): The waters where the drills match real missions and where attacks on ships have occurred.
• Energy security (Economy): Safe Hormuz and Gulf of Oman sea lanes protect India's uninterrupted oil and gas imports.
• Comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Economy): The 2025 India–Oman CEPA raised the trade stake that naval security now protects.
• Tariff line (Economy): Oman's zero-duty offer is measured in tariff lines, giving the CEPA's headline figures.
• Social security (Economy): CEPA leaves the Social Security Agreement for later, so Indian workers in Oman remain uncovered.
• Indian Ocean (Geography): The wider ocean theatre where India's maritime security role and these sea lanes operate.
• Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (Geography): Indian Navy's maritime information-sharing hub, a multilateral framework to compare with bilateral drills.
• Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (Geography): Multilateral navy forum in the region, useful to contrast with this bilateral exercise.
• Jointness (Polity): Clarifies terms like joint and combined, helping distinguish bilateral naval cooperation from multi-service operations.

16. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Getting the exercise type wrong: Naseem Al Bahr is a naval exercise. Oman's army and air force exercises with India have different names. Also, it is bilateral, not multilateral [1].
• Edition numbers: 13th was 2022 [2] and 15th was 2026 [1]. Secondary sites give conflicting numbers and locations for the 2024 edition, so don't rely on them.
• Mixing up the phases: SMEE (EOD, MCM, Hydrography) was in the harbour phase. VBSS and cross-deck operations were in the sea phase [1]. The 2022 edition also had a separate debrief phase [2].
• Treating EOD, Mine Countermeasures and Hydrography as one subject: they are three separate SMEE topics [1].
• SAGAR vs MAHASAGAR: MAHASAGAR is the newer, wider vision. Learn the full form exactly, "…Across Regions" [1]. Its launch details were not verified from whitelisted sources here.