CHICAGO, November 6, 2026 – This week, however, the Maritime Warfare Centre in Visakhapatnam has been transformed into the venue for a totally different kind of military exercise, one without any landing craft headed to the beach or hovering helicopters, just concerned officers, maps, computers, and some tough questions. India and the US inaugurated the fifth version of Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 in Visakhapatnam on November 2.
This year’s exercise will be conducted via a table-top scenario, one that will center around humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations (HADR). This year’s exercise might not seem as exciting as exercises involving amphibious landings, but the point remains plain. The idea is to ensure that the forces of India and the US can coordinate during times of crisis.
Who is at the table
Indian participants range from experts in the Navy’s maritime operations to Army ground forces, to Air Force teams and even special forces from all three arms of the service. A team from the National Disaster Response Force will be involved in Tiger Triumph for the first time—a recognition that disaster response efforts need not be restricted to military command centers.
The US component is made up of representatives from the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, and from the realm of space, cyber, medical and even from the field of explosive ordnance disposal teams. This is important because a modern aid delivery operation requires communication security, damage assessment, coordination of airspace, and even clearing of unexploded ordnance.
The exercise’s real test
According to event updates hosted by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), Tiger Triumph 2026 is made up of staff planning, all-domain tabletop exercises, and specialized training for the synchronization of command, control, cyber, and space operations. In other words, both navies are learning how to ensure that they have a shared operational picture, no duplication of effort, and continuous communication even in situations where one domain – like satellite communications or cyber networks – is experiencing stress.
The opening ceremony was conducted by Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi, Flag Officer Commanding India’s Eastern Fleet, and Rear Admiral Joaquin J. Martinez de Pinillos, Vice Commander of the US Pacific Fleet. For Rear Admiral Bishnoi, Tiger Triumph is a practical manifestation of an alliance based on “mutual trust and professional respect.”
Why Visakhapatnam matters
This is no coincidence. The fact that Visakhapatnam is located on India’s eastern coast, a place prone to storms and other kinds of natural emergencies and home to India’s naval assets, makes the location of this tabletop exercise a good place to conduct this training exercise.
Apart from that, there is another aspect that needs to be considered. The Indian Ministry of Defence states that this exercise reflects the increasing convergence of the maritime interests between India and the US and the increasing defense cooperation between these nations. It can always be asked if conducting such an exercise will mean anything when a disaster strikes, but this is how coordination comes into play.
What comes next
The Tiger Triumph series of exercises started in 2019, and this year’s 2026 version is its fifth iteration. Apart from the scheduled planning conferences, there would be subject matter exchanges, community engagement and cultural activities; small things, maybe, but they help build familiarity for smooth cooperation in future joint activities. The success of this exercise would not be measured by the photograph taken after the ceremony. Success would be judged by whether, in the next regional crisis, the Indian and American contingents could integrate into the plan in order to save time, resources and lives.
