List of Military Search & Rescue Operations

Mar 2022|🟢Current|5 min read|92 entries

Key Takeaway

In this post, we'll look at some of the key search and rescue operations carried out by the Indian Armed Forces on a global scale.

Last verified: 12 Feb 2026·Source: www.pscarivukal.com

List of Military Search & Rescue Operations

In this post, we'll look at some of the key search and rescue operations carried out by the Indian Armed Forces on a global scale.

While the rest of the world has abandoned its people or postponed its evacuation process (like China) in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, India has been rushing against the clock to evacuate all impacted, regardless of faith.

IndialaunchedOperation Gangato rescue Indian and Nepalese people in war-torn Ukraine.

However, this is not India's first time rescuing people from war zones or lending a helping hand to people in natural disasters. India had left no stone unturned in its previous rescue efforts in order to safeguard and redeem its people.

Search & Rescue Operations of Indian Armed Forces

Given below are some of the important humanitarian Search & Rescue Operations performed by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian and foreign nationals stranded in dire situations on a global scale.

International level Search & Rescue Operations(92)

Item	Detail
Operation Ganga (2022)Location	Ukraine
Operation Devi Shakti(2021)Location	Afghanistan
Duration	August 16 – 21
Executed by	Indian Armed Forces
Aim	To help fleeing Indian and foreign nationals especially Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan, when Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban
Duration	May 7, 2020, to October 31, 2021*
Aim	to evacuate Indian nationals stranded abroad due to COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns
Operation Samudra Setu (2020)Duration	May 5–July 1 (over 55 days)
Executed by	Indian Navy using INS Airavat, Jalashwa, Shardul & Magar
Aim	to repatriate 3,992 Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic
Operation Vanilla (2020)Location	Madagascar
Duration	January 28 to February 1
Executed by	Indian Navy using INS Airavat
Aim	to provide assistance to the affected population of Madagascar post devastation caused by Cyclone Diane
Operation Nistar (2018)Location	Yemen
Duration	3-7 June
Executed by	Indian Navy using INS SunaynaAim–to evacuate 38 Indian nationals from Yemen Island of Socotra who was stranded by Cyclone Mekenu
Operation Insaniyat (2017)Location	Bangladesh
Duration	September 14
Executed by	Indian Air Force
Aim	to supply relief packages to migrant Rohingya Muslims
Operation Maitri / Operation Amity (2015)Location	Nepal
Duration	25-28 April
Executed by	Indian Armed Forces & National Disaster Response Force
Aim	Rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and in the Mount Everest avalanche triggered by the earthquake
Operation Sankat Mochan (2015)Location	Nepal
Duration	26-28 April
Executed by	Indian Armed Forces & Nepal Army
Aim	Rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and in the Mount Everest avalanche triggered by the earthquake
Operation Raahat (2015)Location	Yemen
Duration	6-7 April
Executed by	Air India &Indian Navy using INS Mumbai & INS Tarkash
Aim	toevacuate 4,640 Indian citizens and 960 foreign nationals of 41 countries from Yemen during the 2015 military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its allies in that country during the Yemeni Crisis
Operation Searchlight (2014)Location	Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea
Duration	March 13
Executed by	Indian Air Forces & Indian Navy
Aim	to find the missing Boeing 777 M.H 17 Malaysian Flight with 239 passengers
Operation Safe Homecoming (2011)Location	Libya
Duration	February 26–March 11
Executed by	Air India & Indian Navy using INS Jalashwa
Aim	to evacuate 15000 Indian nationals from the conflict zone during the Libyan Civil War to oust the country’s then-dictator Muammar Gaddafi
Operation Sukoon (2006)Location	Beirut
Duration	July
Executed by	Indian Navy using INS Mumbai, INS Betwa, INS Brahmputra & INS Shakti
Aim	to evacuate 2,280 people, including 1,764 Indians, 112 Sri Lankans, 64 Nepalese, and 7 Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War
Operation Rainbow(2004)Location	Sri Lanka
Duration	December 26, 2004
Executed by	Indian Air Force &Indian Navy using INS Sandhayak & Dornier aircraft.INS Sandhayakwhich participated in operation Pawan in Sri Lanka (1987), the maiden Indo-US HADR Exercise Tiger-Triumph (2019) and conducted approx. 200 major hydrographic surveys was decommissioned in 2021 after 40 years*
Aim	search and rescue operations to find fishermen and boats lost at sea in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
Operation Castor(2004)Location	Maldives
Duration	December 26, 2004
Executed by	Indian Air Force &Indian Navy using INS Mysore, INS Udayagirir, & INS Aditya
Aim	disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
Operation Gambhir(2004)Location	Indonesia
Duration	December 26, 2004
Executed by	Indian Navy using INS Khukri and INS Nirupak
Aim	disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
Airlift (1990)Location	Kuwait
Duration	August 13–October 20, 1990
Executed by	Indian Air Force, Air India &Indian Airlines
Aim	To evacuate 170,000 people by the civil airlines during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait before the Persian Gulf War
Operation Good Samaritan (1995)Location	Manipur/Nagaland
Duration	Ongoing
Executed by	Indian Armed Forces
Aim	Humanitarian assistance
Operation Sea Waves (2004)Location	Andaman Nicobar Islands
Duration	December 26, 2004
Executed by	Indian Armed Forces
Aim	disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami particularly in Andaman Nicobar Islands
Operation Madad (2004)Location	Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh
Duration	December 26, 2004
Executed by	Indian Navy
Aim	Search & rescue operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
Operation Ganga Prahar(2013)Location	Uttarakhand
Duration	June 2013
Executed by	Indian Army
Aim	Rescue operation during North India floods
Operation Surya Hope (2013)Location	Uttarakhand
Duration	June 2013
Executed by	Indian Army
Aim	Humanitarian assistance in times of North India floods and rescuing 100,000 pilgrims and tourists in Himalayan religious sites
Operation Rahat(2013)Location	Uttarakhand
Duration	June 2013
Executed by	Indian NavyAim –disaster relief operation in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand floods
Mission Sahayata & Operation Megh Rahat (2014)Operation Madad (2018)Location	Kerala
Duration	August 2018
Executed by	Indian Navy
Aim	Search & rescue operations during Kerala Floods
OperationSahyog(2018)Location	Kerala
Duration	August 2018
Executed by	Indian Army
Aim	Search & rescue operations during Kerala Floods

Operation Ganga (2022)Location

Ukraine

Operation Devi Shakti(2021)Location

Afghanistan

Duration

August 16 – 21

Executed by

Indian Armed Forces

Aim

To help fleeing Indian and foreign nationals especially Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan, when Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban

Duration*

May 7, 2020, to October 31, 2021

Aim

to evacuate Indian nationals stranded abroad due to COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns

Operation Samudra Setu (2020)Duration

May 5–July 1 (over 55 days)

Executed by

Indian Navy using INS Airavat, Jalashwa, Shardul & Magar

Aim

to repatriate 3,992 Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic

Operation Vanilla (2020)Location

Madagascar

Duration

January 28 to February 1

Executed by

Indian Navy using INS Airavat

Aim

to provide assistance to the affected population of Madagascar post devastation caused by Cyclone Diane

Operation Nistar (2018)Location

Yemen

Duration

3-7 June

Executed by

Indian Navy using INS SunaynaAim–to evacuate 38 Indian nationals from Yemen Island of Socotra who was stranded by Cyclone Mekenu

Operation Insaniyat (2017)Location

Bangladesh

Duration

September 14

Executed by

Indian Air Force

Aim

to supply relief packages to migrant Rohingya Muslims

Operation Maitri / Operation Amity (2015)Location

Nepal

Duration

25-28 April

Executed by

Indian Armed Forces & National Disaster Response Force

Aim

Rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and in the Mount Everest avalanche triggered by the earthquake

Operation Sankat Mochan (2015)Location

Nepal

Duration

26-28 April

Executed by

Indian Armed Forces & Nepal Army

Aim

Rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and in the Mount Everest avalanche triggered by the earthquake

Operation Raahat (2015)Location

Yemen

Duration

6-7 April

Executed by

Air India &Indian Navy using INS Mumbai & INS Tarkash

Aim

toevacuate 4,640 Indian citizens and 960 foreign nationals of 41 countries from Yemen during the 2015 military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its allies in that country during the Yemeni Crisis

Operation Searchlight (2014)Location

Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea

Duration

March 13

Executed by

Indian Air Forces & Indian Navy

Aim

to find the missing Boeing 777 M.H 17 Malaysian Flight with 239 passengers

Operation Safe Homecoming (2011)Location

Libya

Duration

February 26–March 11

Executed by

Air India & Indian Navy using INS Jalashwa

Aim

to evacuate 15000 Indian nationals from the conflict zone during the Libyan Civil War to oust the country’s then-dictator Muammar Gaddafi

Operation Sukoon (2006)Location

Beirut

Duration

July

Executed by

Indian Navy using INS Mumbai, INS Betwa, INS Brahmputra & INS Shakti

Aim

to evacuate 2,280 people, including 1,764 Indians, 112 Sri Lankans, 64 Nepalese, and 7 Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War

Operation Rainbow(2004)Location

Sri Lanka

Duration

December 26, 2004

Executed by*

Indian Air Force &Indian Navy using INS Sandhayak & Dornier aircraft.INS Sandhayakwhich participated in operation Pawan in Sri Lanka (1987), the maiden Indo-US HADR Exercise Tiger-Triumph (2019) and conducted approx. 200 major hydrographic surveys was decommissioned in 2021 after 40 years

Aim

search and rescue operations to find fishermen and boats lost at sea in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Operation Castor(2004)Location

Maldives

Duration

December 26, 2004

Executed by

Indian Air Force &Indian Navy using INS Mysore, INS Udayagirir, & INS Aditya

Aim

disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Operation Gambhir(2004)Location

Indonesia

Duration

December 26, 2004

Executed by

Indian Navy using INS Khukri and INS Nirupak

Aim

disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Airlift (1990)Location

Kuwait

Duration

August 13–October 20, 1990

Executed by

Indian Air Force, Air India &Indian Airlines

Aim

To evacuate 170,000 people by the civil airlines during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait before the Persian Gulf War

Operation Good Samaritan (1995)Location

Manipur/Nagaland

Duration

Ongoing

Executed by

Indian Armed Forces

Aim

Humanitarian assistance

Operation Sea Waves (2004)Location

Andaman Nicobar Islands

Duration

December 26, 2004

Executed by

Indian Armed Forces

Aim

disaster relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami particularly in Andaman Nicobar Islands

Operation Madad (2004)Location

Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh

Duration

December 26, 2004

Executed by

Indian Navy

Aim

Search & rescue operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Operation Ganga Prahar(2013)Location

Uttarakhand

Duration

June 2013

Executed by

Indian Army

Aim

Rescue operation during North India floods

Operation Surya Hope (2013)Location

Uttarakhand

Duration

June 2013

Executed by

Indian Army

Aim

Humanitarian assistance in times of North India floods and rescuing 100,000 pilgrims and tourists in Himalayan religious sites

Operation Rahat(2013)Location

Uttarakhand

Duration

June 2013

Executed by

Indian NavyAim –disaster relief operation in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand floods

Mission Sahayata & Operation Megh Rahat (2014)Operation Madad (2018)Location

Kerala

Duration

August 2018

Executed by

Indian Navy

Aim

Search & rescue operations during Kerala Floods

OperationSahyog(2018)Location

Kerala

Duration

August 2018

Executed by

Indian Army

Aim

Search & rescue operations during Kerala Floods

* Time-sensitive data — verify for latest information

List of Military Search & Rescue Operations

Key Takeaway

List of Military Search & Rescue Operations

Search & Rescue Operations of Indian Armed Forces

International level Search & Rescue Operations(92)

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