Corpat Exercise: Know 37th edition India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol

CORPAT exercise or CORPAT military exercise is held twice a year to ensure the safety and security of the Indian Ocean region. India carries out CORPAT exercises with many countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Kenya, UAE, Qatar, Brunei, Bahrain, Egypt, UK, and Germany.

India-Indonesian CORPAT

The 37th edition of the India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) was held in the Indian Ocean region from 23rd-24th November 2021. The indigenously built Indian Naval Ship (INS) Khanjar and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated in the CORPAT in 2021 along with the Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin (376).

India also conducts other military exercises with Indonesia, such as the Samudra Shakti, a bilateral maritime exercise, and Garuda Shakti, a joint military exercise.

India-Bangladesh CORPAT

The first India-Bangladesh CORPAT was held in 2018. The exercise was aimed at upgrading to a bilateral exercise with the navies engaging in seamanship evolutions, flying exercises, and much more.

The exercises were also aimed at developing mutual communication and sharing best practices. With a common territorial boundary of over 4,000 kilometres and a maritime boundary, the Indian-Bangladesh CORPAT encouraged mutual cooperation while patrolling near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

India-Thailand CORPAT

The Indo – Thai CORPAT exercise has been a naval exercise conducted between the Indian Navy and the Thai Navy since 2005. On June 9, the Indian and Thai navies kicked off a three-day coordinated patrol in the Andaman Sea over growing concern of China’s increasing maritime presence in the Indian Ocean region. This was the 31st edition of the Indo-Thai CORPAT.

The Indian Navy’s offshore patrol vessel INS Saryu and Thai ship Krabi along with Dornier maritime patrol aircraft from both navies participated in the 31st edition of the India-Thailand coordinated patrol.

What Does the CORPAT Exercise Involve?

CORPAT aims to build understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitate measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery, and piracy.

It is a part of the Government of India’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), where the Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with countries in the Indian Ocean Region for coordinated patrols, cooperation in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, passage exercises, bilateral/multilateral exercise and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

The main objective is to enhance regional maritime security. 

Aims of CORPAT

The two main aims of CORPAT are as follows;

• To keep the Indian Ocean region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
• To ensure effective implementation of the United Nations Conventions on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), which specifies regulations regarding:

1. Protection and conservation of natural resources
2. Preservation of the marine environment
3. Prevention and suppression of unregulated fishing activity, drug trafficking, piracy, etc.
4. Exchange of information to prevent smuggling and illegal immigration
5. Conducting search and rescue operations at sea.

FAQs CORPAT Exercise

• When was the first CORPAT exercise between India and Indonesia held?

Indian and Indonesian navies have been undertaking CORPAT bi-annually along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) since 2002. The Indian and Thailand navies have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year since 2005.

• India held the CORPAT exercise with which country in 2021?

India and Indonesia carried out the 37th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) in the Indian Ocean region from 23-24 November 2021.

•  What is the full form of CORPAT?

The full form of CORPAT is Coordinated Patrol.