The Indian Navy said on Wednesday that its ships and planes are still “mission deployed” to keep an eye on things and carry out naval security operations.
“In the last week, Indian Naval Task Groups deployed in the area have investigated a large number of fishing vessels and boarded vessels of interest,” it stated.
Recent attacks on commercial ships, like the drone attack on the MV Chem Pluto last month about 220 nautical miles southwest of Porbandar, made the Navy’s marine surveillance efforts a lot stronger.
The Navy said in a statement, “Indian Navy continues to keep an eye on the maritime security situation in the North/Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
“Indian Naval ships and aircraft remain mission deployed for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations,” it stated.
It said that Indian navy maritime patrol aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft are keeping a close eye on the area all the time.
The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard are also working together to keep a closer eye on things in India’s exclusive economic zone.
“Indian Navy is closely monitoring the overall situation in coordination with national maritime agencies and remains committed to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping and seafarers in the region,” the Navy stated.
The Liberian-flagged ship MV Chem Pluto, which had 21 Indian crew members, was attacked by a drone off the west coast of India on December 23. This caused security worries in New Delhi at a time when Houthi militants backed by Iran were attacking several commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Besides the MV Chem Pluto, another oil ship on its way to India was also hit by what was thought to be a drone in the Southern Red Sea on the same day. The ship had 25 Indian crew members.
In another event, pirates took over the Malta-flagged ship MV Ruen on December 14.
The Navy said that the Information Management and Analysis Center (IMAC) and the Information Fusion Center (IFC IOR) in the Indian Ocean Region have been closely watching white ships, especially Indian-flagged merchant vessels that are traveling through the area.
