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IBSAMAR IX ends at Simon’s Town as India, Brazil and South Africa navies wrap up 10 days of drills

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Editor's note: TrendDesh reported the start of IBSAMAR IX on 13 October. This update covers the closing ceremony on 20 October.

IBSAMAR IX, the ninth India-Brazil-South Africa maritime exercise, concluded at Simon’s Town in South Africa on 20 October 2026, the Ministry of Defence said. The closing ceremony marked the end of ten days of joint activities by the three navies in harbour and at sea.

IBSAMAR: A warship and helicopter during the sea phase of the exercise
A warship and helicopter during the sea phase of the exercise Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

How IBSAMAR IX unfolded

During the harbour and sea phases, crews took part in professional exchanges, operational interactions and joint training, learning about each other’s procedures, capabilities and ways of operating at sea, the ministry said. These activities built familiarity and confidence and helped the navies work together with greater synergy. Earlier, the defence ministry had said the trilateral exercise has been held every two years since 2008 under the IBSA framework, and that this edition covered surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare, naval air operations, maritime interdiction, search and rescue, and damage control and firefighting drills. INS Tarkash reached Simon’s Town on 11 October and the exercise opened in Cape Town, IANS reported at the time.

Key Facts

  • Edition: ninth (IBSAMAR IX 2026)
  • Ended: 20 October 2026, Simon’s Town, South Africa
  • Duration: ten days, harbour and sea phases
  • Indian ship: INS Tarkash (stealth frigate)
  • Held every two years since 2008

What the INS Tarkash commander said

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Commanding Officer of INS Tarkash said exercises such as IBSAMAR turn long-standing diplomatic relationships into practical naval cooperation. He said the real strength of such drills lies not only in joint manoeuvres at sea but also in the relationships formed among personnel through shared experience and mutual learning. INS Tarkash is a frontline guided missile stealth frigate and was India’s participating ship, carrying a Chetak helicopter, according to the earlier ministry release. Brazil sent BNS Barroso with a Lynx helicopter, and South Africa fielded three warships and the submarine SAS Manthatisi. All three navies took part in both the harbour and sea phases.

Ships at sea during the trilateral exercise
Ships at sea during the trilateral exercise Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

India-Brazil-South Africa maritime ties and interoperability

The ministry said IBSAMAR reflects the lasting maritime relationship between the three countries, which sit on three continents but are linked by the sea and share an interest in safe, secure and stable oceans. The exercise lets the navies tackle common maritime challenges, exchange best practices and improve their ability to operate together, contributing to a peaceful maritime environment. It also reaffirmed the value of jointmanship at sea, with interoperability built through repeated interactions and common training. The ministry said the successful conclusion of IBSAMAR IX 2026 showed the shared commitment of India, Brazil and South Africa to open seas underpinned by a rules-based order. When the drills began, the ministry said this edition’s theme was ‘Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain’ and that it aimed to boost joint maritime security and readiness in the Indian Ocean Region.

Why It Matters: IBSAMAR is India's main naval exercise with two large Global South partners and gives the Indian Navy regular practice far from home in the southern Indian Ocean and South Atlantic.

Also on TrendDesh: IBSAMAR IX 2026: INS Tarkash joins Brazil and South Africa navies for drills · Combined Task Force 154: Indian Navy ends its first CMF command in Bahrain after 7,800 training hours

Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence), 21 Oct 2026 · PIB (Ministry of Defence), start of IBSAMAR IX · DD News

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