Increasing navy capacity to support India’s status as a superpower in the Indo-Pacific: Rajnath Singh.
In the past few days, the navy has prevented five attempts at piracy in and around the Arabian Sea and reacted to distress calls from commerce ships that were targeted by missiles and drones fired by Houthi rebels backed by Iran.
Delhi, New: In the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the Indian Navy on Saturday commissioned the survey vessel INS Sandhayak into service at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Singh emphasized the navy’s role in bolstering maritime security in the far-off seas that face a variety of challenges and stated that the new ship would help further strengthen India’s role as a superpower in the Indo-Pacific region.
Attended the Commissioning Ceremony of #INSSandhayak in Visakhapatnam today.
The ship will further strengthen India's role as a superpower in the Indo-Pacific region.⁰⁰INS Sandhayak will protect our own maritime interests as well as of friendly countries⁰⁰Maritime piracy &… pic.twitter.com/bppBAwvPFY
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 3, 2024
One of the choke spots in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, is heavily used for international trade. “Many threats remain at these choke points, the biggest being from pirates,” stated Singh, referring to the navy’s involvement in saving many ships and their crews from Somali pirates as well as the current spike in attempted hijackings in the region.
In the past few days, the navy has prevented five attempts at piracy in and around the Arabian Sea and reacted to distress calls from commerce ships that were targeted by missiles and drones fired by Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran. On Friday, it stopped a pirate attempt off the coast of Somalia and saved the eleven Iranians and eight Pakistanis who were on board the fishing boat Omari, which was flying the Iranian flag.
“The Indian Navy upholds peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region by facilitating safe trade.” This is the “emergence of a superpower,” as many military analysts put it. The minister of defense said that it is part of our culture to protect everyone.
INS The defense ministry said in a statement that Sandhayak, the navy’s first SVL (survey vessel large) class of ships, is capable of a variety of naval operations and will conduct hydrographic surveys of ports, harbors, navigational channels, coastal areas, and the deep seas to enable safe navigation.
This ship is the first of four that will be built in the nation as part of the SVL project. Its dimensions are 110 meters in length, 16 meters in breadth, and 3,400 tons of displacement.
“The ocean is vast. Our strength will increase and our understanding will grow as we investigate its components further.Our ability to meaningfully fulfill our strategic interests will increase with our understanding of the ocean, according to Singh.
He said that India was committed to eradicating anarchy from the whole world, not just from the region, given its increasing might. “To maintain a global order based on laws is the goal of our expanding authority. Our goal is to end unreported and illicit fishing in the Indo-Pacific area, including the Indian Ocean. The military is putting an end to people trafficking and drugs in this area. In addition to putting an end to piracy, its goal is to provide prosperity and peace to the whole area.
He went on to say that strengthening the navy will assist India in becoming a global peace advocate.
According to Singh, a nation depends on other nations for security in the early stages of its development before learning how to defend itself. Then, when a nation reaches a certain level of power, it can defend friendly nations in addition to its own interests.
Aside from China’s well-planned power grab for influence, other concerns in the far-off waters include maintaining the rules-based international order, the Arabian Sea becoming a new front as tensions in the Red Sea rise, and the rise of piracy. In response to growing concerns, the military has significantly increased its surveillance in and around the Arabian Sea and sent out task groups made up of about ten warships.
Singh said that no one engaged in smuggling or marine piracy will escape punishment.
The SVL project, according to Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, demonstrated the government’s and the navy’s emphasis on “the quintessential prerequisite to operating at sea—the survey of the unfathomable depths of the oceans.”
The formidable aircraft carrier Vikrant, the lethal destroyers of the Visakhapatnam class, the adaptable frigates of the Nilgiri class, the stealthy submarines of the Kalvari class—all of these represent the “Aatmanirbhar” force that we are painstakingly building for an ascending Bharat, according to Kumar.
The statement also stated that Sandhayak, which translates to “the one who conducts a special search,” has an indigenous composition of more than 80% by cost.