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India sends four major warships to Red Sea

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Aug 18, IRNA

India-Warships-Indian Ocean

Continuing with its policy of constructively engaging countries in West Asia and Africa to make its presence felt in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), India has sent four of its major warships to the Red Sea and the African coast on a two- month-long deployment.

"The Indian ships will be present in the IOR for a while, doing some flag showing and also engaging in naval diplomacy with some port calls, mid-sea exercises and interaction with personnel from the navies of the West Asian countries and the African continent," Indian official media reported quoting top Navy official.

The Indian warships -- INS Delhi, INS Talwar, INS Godavari and INS Aditya -- will simultaneously be visiting countries and ports all along the eastern African coast and some ports in the Red Sea, apart from exercising with the French navy in the Persian Gulf.

Ships from Indian Western Naval Command began their journey end of July and is only expected to come back to Indian shores in mid- September, the official said.

Delhi and Talwar have already completed their visit to Safaga port in Egypt in Red Sea between August 5 to 8 while Godavari and Aditya sailed to Refaet Al-Assad in Syria.

The ships would now be sailing Mombasa, the second largest port- city of Kenya, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, other east African ports and a couple of ports in Madagascar Island and Mauritius.

All these efforts were part of the Indian Navy's open advocacy that IOR was its responsibility, particularly in view of the fact that 90 percent of the world's sea trade are conducted though the region.

"These engagements are more for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), which the Indian Navy has been advocating for sharing of real time intelligence in the IOR to counter terrorist and maritime threats such as piracy, smuggling and others," the official pointed out.

In February this year, India had hosted the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) bringing together about 28 out of the 33 navies in the IOR, to enhance cooperation and increasing the MDA.