The Indian Navy has deployed 35 warships and 11 submarines in the Indian Ocean. Apart from these, five airplanes are also patrolling. This is the biggest deployment of the Navy so far. For some time now, due to the actions of Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and increasing activities of pirates, difficulties have increased in the movement of merchant ships in the vast maritime area spread to the west of India. Apart from this, China is also busy increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean. In view of these challenges, India has decided to field a large number of warships and submarines. Of these, 10 warships have been deployed in the North Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and eastern coastal areas of Somalia. These ships have been deployed to deal with pirates and to help merchant ships that have become victims of missiles and drones. The remaining warships are active in the Bay of Bengal and the Southern Indian Ocean. At present both the fleets of the Indian Navy – Eastern and Western – are fully deployed and active.
On the occasion of completion of 100 days of the naval operation in the western sea, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar has said that this operation will continue until the movement of commercial ships in this maritime area becomes safe. Due to the Red Sea crisis, shipping and insurance costs have increased significantly. In such a situation, the activity of our Navy is also becoming a support for the global economy. India had made a new law in 2022 to end the terror of pirates. Recently, after a major operation, the Navy has rescued a hijacked ship and captured 40 Somalian pirates. They will be prosecuted in Mumbai under the new law. Concerns about the security and stability of the Indian Ocean have increased due to geopolitical crises and piracy as well as the increasing activities of the Chinese Navy. A few days ago, India’s Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan had underlined that China is our main defense challenge. He had also said that even though Pakistan is surrounded by serious economic difficulties, its military capability has not diminished. These days, 13 Chinese ships are patrolling in the Indian Ocean. Of these, six are military ships and one is a satellite tracking ship. Apart from Chinese submarines, at least six to eight naval ships always roam in this area. In such a situation, deployment of Indian warships and submarines is a necessary step.