This October, INS Tarkash docked at Port Gqeberha (previously known as Port Elizabeth), South Africa. The objective of this voyage was to participate in the seventh edition – IBSAMAR VII – of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR) exercise. This event solidifies the trilateral defence cooperation among these nations.
The Significance of IBSAMAR VII
From 10 to 12 October 2022, South Africa hosted the joint multinational maritime exercise, IBSAMAR VII. Under this banner, naval forces from India, Brazil, and South Africa participated in a series of events aimed at strengthening their cooperation. The previous edition, IBSAMAR VI, took place in Simons Town, South Africa in 2018.
India’s contribution to the exercise was notable. The Indian Navy sent the Teg class guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, along with a Chetak helicopter and personnel from the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS).
The event included a harbour phase, which featured professional exchanges, such as damage control and fire-fighting drills, Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS)/cross boarding lectures, and interactions among special forces. These operations are instrumental in enhancing maritime security, joint operational training, sharing best practices, and building interoperability to address common maritime threats.
India’s Other Maritime Exercises
India participates in numerous other maritime exercises worldwide. These include the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) with Thailand, Konkan – Shakti with the United Kingdom, Samudra Shakti with Indonesia, Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) with Singapore, Zair-Al-Bahr with Qatar, and the Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with Japan.
Introduction to IBSA
The IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil, and South Africa. It aims to promote South-South cooperation and exchange. The concept of South-South Cooperation (SSC) has roots dating back to efforts by countries and groups working together to ensure South-South solidarity as far back as the Bandung conference in 1955, Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, G77 grouping, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Buenos Aires Plan of Action in 1978, and the 2009 Nairobi declaration.
This initiative became the IBSA Dialogue Forum in 2003 when the Foreign Ministers of the three countries met in Brasilia (Brazil) and issued the Brasilia Declaration.
IBSA’s Structure and Fund
IBSA does not operate from a permanent headquarters or possess a permanent executive secretariat. Instead, its work is largely project-focused. A notable example is the IBSA Fund, established in 2004. This fund, entrusted to India, Brazil, and South Africa, combats poverty and hunger in developing countries. Managed by the United Nations (UN) Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), each member country is required to contribute $1 million per annum.
Relevant Previous Year Questions from UPSC Civil Services Examination
In the Prelims stage of the 2017 UPSC Civil Services Examination, aspirants were tested on their knowledge of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). The question focused on the year of inception and objectives of this symposium. It further highlighted that the initiative was voluntary and aimed at boosting maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. The ideal response was to indicate that the inaugural meeting took place in 2008, not 2015. This question underscores the importance of having detailed knowledge about India’s various maritime initiatives and partnerships.