Indian Navy to enhance presence in Indian Ocean to counter China
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NEW DELHI - Now, more Indian capital warships will be positioned round the year across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to counter China, India today has reported.
Indian warships will now be in Madagascar in the south-east Indian Ocean, Malacca, Sunda Strait in the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean and off-the-coast of Bangladesh and Myanmar even -- to keep an eye on Chinese warships and "emerging threats", top sources told India Today.Besides, warships will be positioned in and around Male, Mauritius Islands in west and Bangladesh and Myanmar in east.
The round the year deployment is a change from the previous seasonal deployments of Indian warships in the IOR. In all, about 45 capital warships will be scouting the vast Indian Ocean . Surveillance aircraft like the US-made -P8I, Dornier will be keeping an eye from the sky.
At least 14 Chinese warships and submarines, including a nuclear submarine, have been spotted in the Indian Ocean Region till September 2017.
This is by far the largest deployment of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean region. South Block feels the number of Chinese warships will be only increase in the future.
Changing the deployment patterns from seasonal to round the year was decided at the on-going Navy Commanders Conference, sources told India Today.
Till recently Indian Navy warships were permanently deployed in the Gulf-of Aden and Persian Gulf only for anti-piracy operations. Mid-June 2017, the Indian Navy decided to permanently position a warship on the Malacca Strait - the narrow waterway that connects the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean.
The surveillance in this area has been further tightened, "A Kora-Class guided missile Corvette and Off-shore Patrol vessel will be deployed permanently in Andaman Sea," sources told India Today.
The Malacca and Sunda Strait are natural choke points - narrow waterways -- through which Chinese warships must pass exposing themselves.
Indian Warship will also be prowling the seas around the coast Lakshadweep and Minicoy and Male Islands to keep an eye on Chinese ships.
China recently has opened a base in Djobuti. Beijing also wants bases in Mauritius and Male islands. Indian patrols around Male, Mauritius and Madagascar island will be keeping a close watch over this region.
The shipping lane through which warships, freight carriers reach the Indian Ocean from Cape of Good Hope will be monitored by Indian warships positioned in and around Madagascar, sources said.
Besides, warships, surveillance aircraft like the US made P8I and Dornier will be keeping an eye from the sky.
