Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 opened in Kochi on July 20, 2026 with a programme that put routine ship handling beside emergency response. Southern Naval Command hosted the four-day engagement under the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154. The Defence Ministry's opening account described the task force as the training arm of Combined Maritime Forces.

The first day included a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime session on threats in the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean. Participants then used naval training infrastructure for navigation, ship handling, distress communications, damage control and firefighting. The sequence connected an assessment of regional risks with the practical actions needed to keep a vessel operating when trouble occurs.

A subsequent Combined Maritime Forces account, published on August 4, records the completed July 20-23 programme. It adds maritime law, counter-narcotics work, force protection and uncrewed systems to the subjects covered. Practical activities included boarding procedures, survival at sea and training aboard an Indian naval vessel, extending the exercise beyond classroom discussion.

CTF 154's published remit explains how such courses are organised. Created on May 22, 2023, it offers training from basic to advanced levels tailored to partner requests. Shore-based courses let countries participate without sending ships or aircraft. Its five core areas are maritime awareness, law, interdiction, rescue and assistance, and leadership development.

The two organisers reported different attendance totals: the Navy's opening release listed 254 participants from 26 countries, while the later CMF account recorded more than 270 from 27. CMF also reported 76 facilitators and specialists and more than 3,800 training man-hours. These are the respective opening and retrospective figures; neither account explains the numerical change.

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