Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) 2025 is a large-scale multilateral maritime exercise between India and African nations . The inaugural edition of AIKEYME began in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, in April 2025 . India and Tanzania co-hosted the exercise .
Key Aspects of AIKEYME:
- Objective: To develop cooperative solutions to regional maritime challenges and enhance naval interoperability and coordination between partner navies . It aims to strengthen maritime security and encourage collaboration through information sharing and surveillance .
- Participants: India, Tanzania, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa .
- Duration and Phases: The exercise was conducted over six days, from April 13–18, 2025, and divided into harbor and sea phases .
- Harbor Phase: Included command post exercises, discussions on anti-piracy operations, and training sessions on seamanship and Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations . The harbor phase, running from April 13–15, featured table-top exercises focused on anti-piracy operations and information sharing .
- Sea Phase: Focused on practical drills, including search and rescue missions, small arms training, and helicopter operations . Seamanship evolutions were also part of this phase .
- Indian Naval Participation: INS Chennai (Destroyer), INS Kesari (Landing Ship Tank), and INS Sunayna were deployed as part of the engagement .
- Strategic Alignment: AIKEYME aligns with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) initiative .
- Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar Initiative: INS Sunayna is sailing under the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR mission, involving joint surveillance and goodwill port calls in Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Maldives . Aboard the ship is a combined crew of Indian sailors and personnel from nine friendly nations .
AIKEYME is designed to strengthen maritime security and enhance interoperability among participating nations . The exercise focuses on maritime security, anti-piracy, and search and rescue operations . It is a significant step in enhancing maritime security collaboration between India and the African continent . This initiative is crucial in countering China’s growing influence in Africa and addressing regional security challenges .
