Current Context: 1st edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) - (IMEX-22) was conducted at Goa and in the Arabian Sea from 26 – 30 Mar 22.
- Aim - To enhance interoperability in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations among member navies.
- It had 2 phases – Phase 1 which was Harbour Phase was conducted at Marmugao Goa & phase 2 which was a sea phase was conducted in the Arabian Sea.
- 15 IONS member navies, namely Australia, Bangladesh, France, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE, and the UK also participated in the exercise.
- This exercise will help regional navies to collaborate and respond collectively to natural disasters in the region and has paved way for further strengthening regional cooperation.
