Between January 16 to January 21, 2023, Mumbai hosted a one-week Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) operations and Search and Rescue (SAR) course. Officers and sailors from Maritime Security Agencies from six friendly countries—Bangladesh, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Myanmar, and Maldives—took the course under the auspices of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC). 22 trainees in total (10 officers and 12 sailors) took part in the specialised training.The course is modelled and developed in accordance with the best international practises, with a focus on the legal background domain of maritime search and rescue, planning and coordination, the global maritime distress and safety system, lectures on the synchronisation of aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations, and case studies on maritime search and rescue incidents, among other things.
Visitors from the Indian National Mission Control Centre, Indian Space Research Organization, Airports Authority of India, Indian Centre for Ocean Information Services, and subject matter experts from the ICG also gave lectures throughout the programme.
MRCC Mumbai, the Director General Shipping Communication Center, and the Mumbai Airport’s Air Traffic Control all hosted training visits and on-the-job training sessions.
Commander Coast Guard Region (West) Inspector General MV Badkar opened the course.
