United Arab Emirates (UAE Navy)
Bangladesh Navy
The pairing reflects IONS’ principle of shared leadership between different sub-regions of the Indian Ocean.
2.3 Members
Core membership
All IONS navies are eligible to participate.
Active participants
Navies from South Asia, Gulf/West Asia, East Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Observers
Extra-regional navies may contribute expertise, but the WG is primarily regional in focus.
2.4 Resolutions
Orientation of Work Programme
The MarSec WG’s agenda was reviewed and updated to ensure relevance to evolving maritime threats.
Testing Tactical Documents at Sea
Proposed tactical documents from MarSec WG were approved for validation during IONS Maritime Exercises (IMEX).
Integration of Environmental Security
Environmental security concerns were mandated to be incorporated into MarSec WG activities.
Strengthening Maritime Security Cooperation
Emphasis placed on frameworks for countering piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking, and other maritime crimes.
Cross-WG Synergy
MarSec WG outputs were tied to IS&I and HADR WGs to ensure interoperability and avoid duplication.