The Indo-ASEAN joint Exercise, AIME-26, has started in Subic Bay, Philippines, as per the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The statement was uploaded on 30 September 2026 by the official website of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), and the exercises represent one of the most significant elements of India’s interaction with ASEAN in the maritime sphere, as they constitute a forum for maritime cooperation. Such exercises facilitate participating navies to operate in close coordination, practice SOPs and conduct liaison at sea.
AIME-2026 Strengthens Regional Maritime Engagement
Maritime operations might include the planned manoeuvres, the communication exercise, the search-and-rescue drill, and other professional exchanges arranged as part of the exercise schedule. These activities allow participating forces to familiarise themselves with each other’s procedures and build the capacity to work together in actual maritime-security operations. Location matters. Numerous commercial shipping lanes exist throughout the Indo-Pacific, with ships from all nations moving along these commercial routes.
Naval ships are also expected to be prepared to respond to maritime security threats, including piracy, smuggling, accidents at sea, and other navigation hazards. Maritime coordination can be achieved without ships. Secure communications, navigation aids, radar, identification methods, operational information sharing, and similar programs all contribute to the awareness picture at sea; while exercises can help service personnel practice using them with partner forces, it should not be assumed that all countries’ equipment and operating procedures align.
