In a strategic move to address the escalating Red Sea crisis, the Indian Navy units, which already have Mission-Based Deployments in key areas of interest in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), are being deployed off Djibouti, Gulf of Aden, and in the North and Central Arabian Sea off East Coast of Somalia, the defence ministry said Friday (Feb 2).
The actions are being taken to reinforce maritime security in the face of evolving threats in the Red Sea where there has been rampant attacks on shipping vessels by Houthi rebels.
Minister of Defence for State Ajay Bhatt, in a written reply to Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel in the lower house of Parliament on Feb 2, stated, “Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with regional and extra-regional navies/maritime forces, to promote maritime security in the IOR.”
The Indian Navy’s commitment to enhancing maritime security has been evident through regular deployments, surveillance efforts, and proactive engagement with “regional and extra-regional navies”.
According to the minister, since 2008, the Navy has conducted antipiracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and the East coast of Africa, successfully escorting 3,440 ships and over 25,000 seafarers.
The Navy’s commitment also extends beyond physical presence, encompassing information exchange and intelligence sharing with friendly foreign countries.
Demonstrating international cooperation, the Indian Navy has taken bilateral and multilateral maritime exercises, surveillance in joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and carried out coordinated patrolling with friendly foreign countries.
This approach has been taken by the navy in a bid to counter non-traditional threats.
Moreover, the minister also said that the establishment of the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) further strengthens regional maritime security. The centre works in coordination with 25 partner nations and over 40 international multinational organisations for real-time information exchange.
“In addition, information exchange/intelligence sharing is also being undertaken with Friendly Foreign Countries to identify the source/reason/players involved in the attacks/incidents,” the minister said.
(With inputs from agencies)
