Indian Navy on Wednesday said its war ships and aircraft are operating in the Arabian Sea, maintaining a status of ‘mission deployed’ to carry out heightened surveillance and conduct maritime security operations. Over the past week, task groups from the Indian Navy have thoroughly examined numerous fishing vessels and boarded ships of interest in the region.
This increased maritime vigilance is a response to recent attacks on commercial ships, including the drone assault on MV Chem Pluto approximately 220 nautical miles Southwest of Porbandar last month. The Navy emphasized its commitment to monitoring the maritime security situation in the North/Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.
“Indian naval ships and aircraft remain mission-ready and actively engaged in bolstered surveillance efforts and maritime security operations,” the Navy said in a statement. “Indian Naval ships and aircraft remain mission deployed for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations,” it added.
The Indian Navy collaborates with the Coast Guard to enhance surveillance within India’s exclusive economic zone.
The Navy assured that it closely monitors the overall situation in coordination with national maritime agencies, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping and seafarers in the region. The recent drone attack on MV Chem Pluto, along with other incidents, has prompted a comprehensive response to safeguard maritime activities in the area.
In the face of emerging threats, the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region (IFC IOR) are diligently monitoring white shipping, particularly Indian Flagged Merchant Vessels navigating through the region, the Navy said. The Navy remains vigilant and committed to safeguarding maritime interests amid evolving security challenges.
Shipping Under Threat
The Indian Navy has dispatched three guided missile destroyers “in various areas of the sea” to “maintain a deterrent presence” considering the “recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea”, the Indian Navy said on 25 December. It was also using P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft for “domain awareness”, it said.
Since October, the Houthis have carried out assaults on over a dozen vessels, prompting some of the world’s largest companies to forsake the route. The attack in the Indian Ocean, distant from the Red Sea, has sparked apprehensions regarding more extensive threats to maritime shipping, particularly in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
New Delhi is intensifying its anti-piracy initiatives in the Gulf of Aden following the recent hijacking of the bulk carrier MV Ruen by Somali pirates. The Indian navy reported that it closely trailed the Bulgaria-owned and Malta-flagged vessel after it was seized by pirates 380 nautical miles east of the Yemeni island of Socotra on December 16.
The Somali pirates, who released one injured sailor to the care of the Indian navy, took control of the MV Ruen along with its remaining 17 crew members. The vessel is anchored off Bosaso in Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland, as confirmed by the Navy. India is actively addressing the situation to counteract piracy threats in the region. India had also sent a guided-missile destroyer to the region as part of “augmenting the anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden,” the navy added.
Ravi Shankar
