Simon's Town, Oct 21: Exercise IBSAMAR IX, the ninth edition of the trilateral maritime exercise between the navies of India, Brazil and South Africa, concluded in South Africa on October 21, 2026, after running from October 8. South Africa hosted the exercise and India was the lead nation, under the theme "Stronger Together Towards a Shared Future in the Maritime Domain", according to the concluding report by Defence Circle.

The Indian Navy deployed the guided-missile frigate INS Tarkash, an embarked Chetak helicopter and naval special forces elements. Brazil contributed the guided-missile corvette BNS Barroso with a Super Lynx helicopter and special operations personnel, while South Africa fielded the frigate SAS Amatola, the inshore patrol vessels SAS King Sekhukhune I and SAS Adam Kok III, the Type 209 submarine SAS Manthatisi, Oryx helicopters and Gripen fighter jets, along with special forces and support elements. The exercise was held in two parts: a harbour phase at Naval Base Simon's Town (October 8-14) and a sea phase in False Bay and along the Cape West Coast (October 15-21).

This edition featured advanced air defence serials, an expanded scope for visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations, increased live-fire exercises at sea, complex anti-submarine tracking and joint special forces operations, Defence Circle reported. A ceremonial sail-past closed the proceedings. At the opening ceremony on October 12, Exercise Joint Task Force Commander Captain Rohit Mishra of the Indian Navy said IBSAMAR expresses the three nations' collective resolve to work towards a secure and peaceful maritime environment, noting that no single nation can respond alone to challenges such as piracy, maritime crime, human trafficking and illegal fishing.

IBSAMAR, short for India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime, has been held since 2008 under the IBSA Dialogue Forum framework. The Ministry of Defence has said the current edition holds significance for furthering maritime cooperation and security in the Indian Ocean Region, and the Indian Navy has said the exercise covers surface and anti-air warfare, maritime interdiction, anti-piracy operations, search and rescue, damage control and professional interactions aimed at interoperability, IANS reported.

Sources: Defence Circle (concluding report, Oct 21), IANS via Hi India (Ministry of Defence and Indian Navy statements).