Exercise Sahyog HOP TAC 2nd Edition: India-Vietnam Coast Guard Maritime Partnership in the Indo-Pacific

Why in News

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) hosted the 2nd Edition of Joint Exercise Sahyog HOP TAC with the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) on August 27, 2026, at sea off Chennai. Vietnam Coast Guard Ship CSB 8002 arrived in Chennai on August 24, 2026, carrying a six-member VCG delegation. Alongside the exercise, the two coast guards held the 7th High-Level Meeting between ICG and VCG, exchanging best practices in maritime operations, pollution response and law enforcement cooperation.

Background

India-Vietnam Strategic Partnership

India and Vietnam have maintained diplomatic relations since 1972. The relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2016 (during PM Modi's visit to Hanoi). The partnership encompasses defence, trade, energy, culture and maritime security. India is Vietnam's largest development credit partner through the Line of Credit (LoC) programme, with commitments exceeding USD 500 million for defence equipment acquisition.

India-Vietnam Maritime Cooperation History

India and Vietnam share convergent interests in a free and open Indo-Pacific and in upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — a critical issue given China's expansive claims in the South China Sea that directly affect Vietnam's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Maritime cooperation has been a natural area of India-Vietnam engagement:

• India has provided High-Speed Guard Boats to Vietnam under the defence LoC.
• Vietnam's coast guard personnel have trained in India.
• The 1st Edition of Sahyog HOP TAC was the inaugural bilateral coast guard exercise between the two countries (year of 1st edition not confirmed by available sources; 2nd edition is August 2026).

The Name: Sahyog HOP TAC

Sahyog is the Hindi word for "cooperation" or "collaboration." HOP TAC (Hợp Tác) is the Vietnamese word for "cooperation." The bilingual exercise name thus encapsulates the spirit of collaboration — cooperation between India and Vietnam — in both languages.

Current Developments

• Exercise date: August 27, 2026, at sea off Chennai.
• Vietnamese vessel: Coast Guard Ship CSB 8002 (arrived Chennai, August 24).
• Delegation: Six-member VCG delegation participated in the High-Level Meeting and exercise.
• 7th High-Level ICG-VCG Meeting: Reviewed bilateral cooperation and agreed on future joint activities.
• Focus areas: Maritime pollution response, maritime law enforcement, and operational coordination through professional exchanges and best-practice sharing.

Key Facts

Constitutional Provisions

Article 253: Parliament has power to make any law for the whole or any part of the territory of India for implementing any treaty, agreement or convention with any other country or countries. India's participation in maritime exercises and bilateral defence agreements is grounded in this provision and in executive action under the Union List. Entry 1 (Union List): Defence of India; Entry 14: Entering into treaties with foreign countries.

Legal Framework

• Indian Coast Guard Act, 1978: Establishes the Indian Coast Guard as an armed force of the Union under the Ministry of Defence; defines its mandate including maritime law enforcement, protection of marine environment and search and rescue.
• Maritime Zones of India Act, 1976: Defines India's Territorial Waters (12 NM), Contiguous Zone (24 NM), EEZ (200 NM) and Continental Shelf — the legal spaces within which ICG exercises jurisdiction and where exercise Sahyog HOP TAC takes place.
• UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), 1982: The foundational international legal framework for maritime zones, navigation rights, environmental protection and dispute resolution. Both India and Vietnam are signatories. Vietnam has invoked UNCLOS against China's South China Sea claims.

Institutional Framework

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG): Armed force under the Ministry of Defence; headquarters in New Delhi; commanded by a Director General. Responsible for marine environment protection, search and rescue, maritime law enforcement in Indian waters.
• Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG): Vietnam's maritime security and enforcement agency; established 1998 (as a formal force); operates under the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA): Coordinates the diplomatic dimension of defence exercises and bilateral maritime agreements.
• ASEAN: Vietnam is a founding member of ASEAN; the Sahyog HOP TAC exercise reinforces India's Act East Policy engagement with ASEAN maritime states.

Economic Dimensions

India-Vietnam bilateral trade crossed USD 15 billion in 2024-25 (India's exports to Vietnam: ~USD 6 billion; imports: ~USD 9 billion). Vietnam is a major electronics manufacturing hub (Samsung, LG, Intel have large facilities there). Stable maritime routes through the South China Sea and Indian Ocean are critical for this bilateral trade. Coast guard cooperation protects commercial vessels and fishermen in these waters from piracy, illegal fishing and environmental hazards.

Environmental Dimensions

Marine pollution response is one of the two primary objectives of Sahyog HOP TAC. The South China Sea and Bay of Bengal carry some of the world's heaviest shipping traffic. Oil spills, illegal discharge of bilge water, and marine plastic pollution are persistent challenges. The ICG and VCG exchange best practices on spill response, oil boom deployment, and coordination with civilian disaster response agencies — directly supporting India's commitments under MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) and the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP).

Social Dimensions

Both India and Vietnam have large fishing communities operating in shared maritime zones and contested waters. Fishermen from both countries have sometimes been detained by third-party navies (particularly China's coast guard) in the South China Sea. Bilateral coast guard cooperation creates protocols for information-sharing and distress notification that protect the livelihoods of these fishing communities.

International Relations

Act East Policy

Exercise Sahyog HOP TAC fits squarely within India's Act East Policy (launched 2014), which prioritises engagement with Southeast Asian nations through diplomatic, economic and security partnerships. Vietnam, as a frontline ASEAN state in the South China Sea, is a critical node in India's Indo-Pacific strategy.

South China Sea Dimension

Vietnam disputes China's "Nine-Dash Line" claim in the South China Sea, which overlaps with Vietnam's EEZ and continental shelf. India has invested in Vietnam's oil blocks in the South China Sea (ONGC Videsh's interests in Block 06.1) and supports Vietnam's rights under UNCLOS. Maritime cooperation between ICG and VCG sends a strategic signal without being explicitly confrontational.

Quad and Indo-Pacific

While Vietnam is not a Quad member, it is a natural partner in the broader Indo-Pacific framework. India's maritime partnerships with ASEAN coast guards — including Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia — complement Quad maritime cooperation and build a wider network of rules-based maritime order adherents.

Defence Exports

India has supplied Vietnam with High-Speed Patrol Boats (under Lines of Credit). Growing operational familiarity through exercises like Sahyog HOP TAC creates goodwill and interoperability that facilitates future defence equipment purchases — supporting India's defence export ambitions in Southeast Asia.

Challenges

• China factor: Any deepening of India-Vietnam maritime ties will be viewed cautiously by China, potentially triggering diplomatic friction in India-China relations at a sensitive time.
• Capacity gap: Vietnam's coast guard, while growing, has significantly fewer assets than China's coast guard in the South China Sea — limiting the operational impact of bilateral exercises.
• Legal complexity in the South China Sea: India must balance its UNCLOS support for Vietnam's EEZ rights with the need to maintain economic and diplomatic engagement with China.
• Institutionalisation: The exercise is still young (2nd edition); building a robust, institutionalised training programme requires sustained political commitment from both sides.

Government Initiatives

• Act East Policy: India's strategic framework for deepening ties with Southeast and East Asian nations.
• SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region): India's maritime security doctrine envisioning a free, open and cooperative Indo-Pacific.
• Lines of Credit for Defence: India has extended LoCs of USD 500 million+ to Vietnam for defence equipment, including patrol vessels.
• India-Vietnam Joint Commission: Holds regular meetings on trade, culture, defence and maritime cooperation; provides the diplomatic framework within which the ICG-VCG exercises operate.

Way Forward

• India and Vietnam should institutionalise Sahyog HOP TAC as a biannual exercise with expanding scope — incorporating search and rescue, anti-piracy and counter-illegal fishing drills alongside pollution response.
• The ICG should explore joint hydrographic survey arrangements with Vietnam in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to improve maritime domain awareness.
• India should pursue a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) with Vietnam — analogous to those signed with the US, Japan, Australia and France — to enable replenishment and port access for defence assets.
• As recommended by India's National Maritime Commission (proposed but not yet established), a national maritime security strategy explicitly naming bilateral coast guard exercises as tools of middle-power diplomacy would give Sahyog HOP TAC greater institutional weight.

Possible Mains Questions

1. India's Act East Policy has evolved from trade-focused engagement to a comprehensive maritime security partnership with Southeast Asia. Examine India-Vietnam maritime cooperation in this context, with reference to the South China Sea dispute and UNCLOS. (GS II — International Relations)
2. Coast guard diplomacy is an increasingly important tool of middle-power statecraft. Assess India's bilateral coast guard exercises — with Vietnam, Japan, and the Maldives — as instruments of maritime security architecture-building in the Indo-Pacific. (GS II — International Relations)

Possible Prelims MCQs

1. Q: The bilateral coast guard exercise between India and Vietnam is named "Sahyog HOP TAC." The word "Sahyog" is from which language, and what does it mean?
   (a) Vietnamese; meaning "sea partnership"
   (b) Hindi; meaning "cooperation"
   (c) Sanskrit; meaning "mutual defence"
   (d) Marathi; meaning "solidarity"
   Answer: (b)
2. Q: Under which Act is the Indian Coast Guard established, and under which ministry does it operate?
   (a) Coast Guard Act, 1972; Ministry of Home Affairs
   (b) Indian Coast Guard Act, 1978; Ministry of Defence
   (c) Maritime Zones of India Act, 1976; Ministry of Ports and Shipping
   (d) Navy Act, 1957; Ministry of Defence
   Answer: (b)

Essay Dimensions

1. The Indo-Pacific maritime order: India's coast guard diplomacy as a soft-power instrument.
2. UNCLOS and the South China Sea: Vietnam's legal struggles and India's strategic positioning.
3. Act East, not just Look East: the substantive shift in India's Southeast Asia engagement.
4. Maritime security and fishing communities: the human dimension of bilateral coast guard cooperation.
5. Blue economy and maritime security: two sides of the same coin for India and Vietnam.

Interview Questions

1. Vietnam disputes China's claims in the South China Sea using UNCLOS. India also supports freedom of navigation. How should India balance its UNCLOS-based support for Vietnam's rights with the ongoing India-China diplomatic reset?
2. What is the difference between a coast guard exercise and a naval exercise? Why might a coast guard exercise be the preferred format for certain bilateral partnerships?
3. India has signed Mutual Logistics Support Agreements with the US, Japan, Australia, France and Singapore. Should India sign one with Vietnam? What are the strategic benefits and risks?
4. SAGAR stands for "Security and Growth for All in the Region." How does exercise Sahyog HOP TAC embody the SAGAR doctrine?
5. China has the world's largest coast guard fleet. How does this affect India's strategic calculations in partnering with Vietnam's coast guard?

FAQ

What does "HOP TAC" mean?

"HOP TAC" (Hợp Tác) is the Vietnamese word for "cooperation." Combined with "Sahyog" (Hindi for cooperation), the exercise name "Sahyog HOP TAC" captures the bilateral spirit in both languages.

What is India's stake in the South China Sea?

India's stakes are both economic and strategic: ONGC Videsh holds oil exploration rights in Vietnamese blocks in the South China Sea; ~55% of India's trade passes through the South China Sea; India supports freedom of navigation and overflight under UNCLOS; and India opposes any unilateral change in the rules-based maritime order, which China's Nine-Dash Line claim represents.

How does Sahyog HOP TAC relate to India's Act East Policy?

Act East Policy (2014) elevated India's engagement with Southeast Asia from a trade-centric "Look East" approach to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Bilateral coast guard exercises like Sahyog HOP TAC are the maritime security dimension of this policy — building interoperability, trust and joint capacity for maritime law enforcement and disaster response with key ASEAN partners like Vietnam.

Further Reading

• Indian Coast Guard — Official Website
• Ministry of External Affairs — India-Vietnam Relations