In response to the escalating threats of piracy and drone attacks in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Navy has bolstered its presence by raising the number of deployed warships from six to ten. This significant increase aims to address the recent surge in attacks on merchant vessels and drone strikes in the Arabian waters.
India is independently conducting these intensified maritime security operations to stabilise the situation proactively and contribute to enhancing overall maritime security in the region. India has refrained from joining the US-led multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian launched in the Red Sea in December after attacks on merchant vessels and military ships by Houthi rebels of Yemen. Therefore, the naval presence in the Arabian Sea has intensified, with the current deployment of 10 warships marking a twofold increase within the past ten days. In early December last month, the Navy had only two warships dedicated to anti-piracy duties in the Arabian Sea. This figure progressively rose to five by the third week of December, and now, there are a total of 10 warships actively patrolling the high seas.
Equipped with helicopters and linked through satellite connectivity with the naval operations room, each vessel in the fleet is fortified with specialised equipment. Alongside marine commandos, these warships possess capabilities to both launch and counter potential attacks. As part of the maritime security strategy, surveillance planes such as the Boeing P8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft and Predator drones MQ-9B Sea Guardians, both capable of providing ‘live feeds’ conduct continuous aerial monitoring, scanning the area and identifying any vessels deemed suspicious, according to the Indian Navy.
The assigned task for the warships include vigilant monitoring of mid-sea areas for rogue ships. While piracy has traditionally originated from Somalia in Africa, recent attacks occurring farther from the coast raise concerns about the involvement of rogue ships. Over the past two weeks, the Navy has boarded and searched dozens of suspicious vessels.
The deployed stealth warships comprise guided-missile destroyers such as INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Chennai, and INS Mormugao, along with multi-role frigates like INS Talwar and INS Tarkash. In close coordination, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are intensifying surveillance efforts over the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. On January 5th, it was INS Chennai, accompanied by MARCOS commandos, that successfully thwarted the attempted hijacking of the Liberia-flagged merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk in the Arabian Sea, rescuing the 21-member crew.
On 23rd December, MV Chem Pluto was hit, reigniting concerns about the potential involvement of rogue ships in launching missiles. The incident occurred approximately 400 km west of the Indian coast, off the coast of Porbandar. The targeted location was 926 km from the Iranian coast and 1,502 km from the Yemen’s coast. The United States attributed the attack to Iran, accusing them of launching a “self-destructing” drone at MV Chem Pluto. However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegation as a “worthless accusation.”
The Indian Navy’s statement highlights that its ‘mission-based deployments’ in the region facilitate swift responses to evolving security challenges. Since October 2008, India has consistently deployed warships for anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden.
Ravi Shankar
