Exercise India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise IX concludes successfully
Exercise India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise IX officially concluded with a closing parade involving all participating nations on 20 October 2026 at the Cole Point Arena, Naval Base Simon’s Town.
This marked the ninth edition of the trilateral maritime exercise between India, Brazil and South Africa. The exercise was conducted in two phases, namely the harbour phase and the sea phase. The harbour phase commenced on 8 October 2026 with the arrival of the Brazilian Navy Ship Barroso, followed by the arrival of the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash on 11 October 2026. The harbour phase, which took place from 8 to 15 October 2026, focused on joint planning, communication procedures and interoperability.
On 9 October 2026, the General Officer Commanding of Joint Operational Headquarters, Major General Thulare, paid a courtesy call on the Flag Officer Fleet, Rear Admiral Matsane, and conducted a site visit to verify the state of readiness for the execution of the exercise.
The official programme commenced with a media briefing on board the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash on 12 October 2026. This was followed by a series of formal hospitality functions aimed at strengthening camaraderie among the participating navies. Cocktail functions were held on board the South African Ship Amatola on 12 October 2026, the Brazilian Navy Ship Barroso on 13 October 2026, and the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash on 14 October 2026.
The sea phase of Exercise India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise IX commenced on 16 October 2026, when all participating ships, namely the South African Ships Amatola, King Sekhukhune I, Adam Kok III and Manthatisi, the Brazilian Navy Ship Barroso, and the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash, proceeded to sea.
The focus of this phase was to enhance interoperability and operational capability, with serials including surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, visit, board, search and seizure, helicopter operations, and search and rescue. During this phase, the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya, visited the fleet to oversee operations.
The sea phase culminated on 19 October 2026 with a distinguished visitors’ day demonstration at sea. The demonstration, which simulated close-quarter attacks on ships, was conducted on board the South African Ship Amatola and witnessed by the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Maphwanya; the Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Lobese; the General Officer Commanding Joint Operational Headquarters, Major General Thulare; the Flag Officer Fleet, Rear Admiral Matsane; and other distinguished guests. The demonstration was well received and showcased the high level of professionalism and interoperability achieved during the exercise.
The exercise officially concluded with a closing parade on 20 October 2026 at the Cole Point Arena, Naval Base Simon’s Town. During his address, the Joint Task Force Commander, Captain A. P. Jacobs, commended the members on parade, stating, “You are the true foundation of this partnership. You arrived here representing your respective nations and you have trained alongside colleagues from different naval traditions, and you will leave with something that cannot be measured in nautical miles or operational statistics, which is the trust of fellow sailors.” He further expressed his sincere gratitude to all participants, from the lowest to the highest rank, for their contributions to the success of the exercise.
The parade and the exercise concluded with the presentation of gifts to the commanding officers of the participating ships. The exercise once again demonstrated the commitment of the three nations to promoting maritime security, cooperation and interoperability.
Article and photographs by the Exercise India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise Combat Camera Team || Naval Base Simon’s Town.
