Indian Navy and EU’s Atalanta Plan Joint Exercise to Bolster Anti-Piracy Operations in Indian Ocean

New Delhi, India - In a move that signals sharper alignment between Brussels and New Delhi on maritime security, the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) has proposed an advanced joint exercise with the Indian Navy, specifically tailored to counter-piracy and high-risk maritime threats in the Indian Ocean. The proposal was made during a quiet, high-stakes visit by Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, the top commander of EU NAVFOR Atalanta, who met Indian defence officials to table the blueprint.

Sources familiar with the visit say Serrano’s pitch wasn’t a run-of-the-mill PASSEX suggestion. This isn’t just about ships waving flags or sailing past each other. What’s on offer is a full-spectrum naval engagement—live-fire drills, tactical boarding ops, high-precision manoeuvres, and seamless comms architecture, all stitched together by weeks of joint planning. If cleared, the drill will kick off by late May, with the EU deploying two warships and India likely matching muscle with its own frontline assets.

“This isn’t optics. It’s a practical response to real-world flashpoints,” an Indian Navy officer told Republic. “Serrano’s brief was clear—match resolve with action, and match capability with trust.”

Beyond The Gulf: From Somali Waves To Sub-surface Signals, The Agenda Is Tight

The planned exercise draws from a shared history of boots on deck and flags on the horizon. Operation Atalanta was originally launched in 2008 to fight Somali piracy, but its mandate has grown to include arms trafficking, narcotics, and illegal fishing surveillance. India’s presence has been constant in this theatre—from escorting World Food Programme vessels to conducting high-risk rescues and even detaining pirates.

Notably, joint ops last year involving Indian warships, EU forces, and Mauritius Police resulted in 70 pirates being nabbed—44 of them by Indian sailors alone. “These are not just symbolic handshakes. They’re operations with direct impact on maritime stability,” one EU officer remarked off-record, referring to the January 2024 rescue missions coordinated over encrypted comms from Djibouti to Kochi.

The upcoming exercise, insiders say, is designed to simulate live-threat environments: hijack response, deck-clearing tactics, aerial scouting, and interoperability tests under duress. “Think of it as SHADE meets the school of hard knocks,” quipped an Indian naval planner, referencing the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) forum that both forces attend regularly.

French Footprint Strong, But EU Sees Future In Indian Partnership

While France remains the EU’s Indo-Pacific heavyweight, owing to its vast overseas territories and naval hubs, Serrano confirmed that wider European support is gaining traction. Spain, Germany, and Italy have shown interest in plugging into Atalanta missions, and the proposed India-EU drill is being seen as a prototype for deeper coalition-style cooperation in the region.

Serrano was direct in his briefing: piracy off Somalia may have receded, but it hasn’t died. The return of rogue skiffs, the unstable politics of Yemen, and increased narcotics shipping have re-energised maritime threats. “The sea doesn’t forgive complacency,” he said during a short interaction, pointing to a map dotted with recent ‘unknown contact’ pings flagged by merchant vessels.

From India’s end, the Navy’s operations tempo has been high. Its expanded footprint in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and down to the Mozambique Channel is part of a larger doctrine—India as a net security provider. With the Quad expanding on one end and IOR-specific partnerships tightening on the other, the timing for EU-India synergy is not coincidental.

Old Handshake, New Grip: This Isn’t About Patrols, It’s About Posture

Back in 2021, the Indian Navy and Operation Atalanta ran a joint drill in the Gulf of Aden. It included live firing, cross-deck landings, boarding drills, and joint patrols. But officials say that exercise was more of a 'testing waters' sortie. What’s now being planned is bolder—a demonstration of both tactical interoperability and strategic intent.

India and the EU have, over the last few years, carved out common ground in the Indo-Pacific discourse. Where once Brussels seemed distant from the heat of the region, today its vessels are not just sailing—but engaging, responding, and integrating. If the drill sees daylight next month, it could set the tone for broader Indo-EU maritime frameworks—possibly including HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief), IUU fishing deterrence, and even dual-use tech trials.

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