The 2017 International Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) was held in Bangladesh from November 26 to 28 2017.
The exercise is taking place under the aegis of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). It was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.
The IONS is a regional forum of Indian Ocean littoral states, represented by their Navy chiefs, launched by India in February 2008. It presently has 23 members and nine observers.
The exercise comes at a time of intensifying competition among regional navies for dominance in the Indian Ocean - navies of China and Japan, presently observers, in addition to member states like India, France, Iran and the U.K.
In addition, Bangladesh is also scheduling an "extraordinary conclave of Chiefs," a meeting of chiefs of Navy before it hands over the Chair to Iran next year, the source added.
Under the charter of business adopted in 2014, the grouping has working groups on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Information Security and Interoperability (IS&I) and anti-piracy now renamed as maritime security.
