Friday 25 December 2015

Coast is clear: Navy’s ops force Gulf of Aden pirates to shift base - TNN

MUMBAI: Over the past three decades, the INS Godavari class warship has been successfully deployed in numerous international operations since it was inducted into the fleet. After its decommissioning, the Indian Navy will decide on the three aspects of the future of the warship.


A Navy source said: "At present, the Navy has not decided on its fate. However the three aspects after it is decommissioned will be that it will either be preserved and stored as a museum because it is the first indigenous warship built at Mumbai's Mazgaon Dock, or a tender can be issued for scrapping it, and it can used for target practice for other Indian frigate warships as it will help in knowing whether armament loaded in the current fleet of vessels has the capacity to aim properly and create a hole in the ship's steel."

INS Godavari has successfully been deployed in numerous operations inclu ding `Operation Jupiter' - 1988 (Sri Lanka), `Operation Shield' and `Operation Bolster' - 1994 (de-induction of Indian Army from Somalia) and `Patrol of Gulf of Aden' - 2009, 2011 (anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden).

In 1988, in an operation called `Operation Cactus', India successfully thwarted a coup d'etat against Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Godavari and Betwa intercepted and arrested the mercenaries, who tri ed to flee Male onboard the merchant vessel Progress Light. On the day Godavari was scheduled to depart from Male, after handing over the mercenaries and their hostages, President Gayoom made an impromptu visit to the ship. In an address to the ship's company , he paid rich tributes to the Indian Armed Forces and expressed his nation's gratitude for their timely assistance. The Western Naval Command (WNC), which controls anti-piracy operations from the city , says it has achieved a major success in combating the menace.

 

The Navy announced that intensive patrolling in Gulf of Aden and off the Somalia coast has led to pirates shifting bases.
The two locations are important sea lanes for trade. Currently , INS Trishul, extensively patrols the seas at these locations and is the pivot of the anti-piracy missions.


On December 3, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya along with several other wars hips took part in patrolling Gulf of Aden and the Somalia coast. Last year, there were four attacks by pirates in Gulf of Aden and three off Somalia coast. The Navy has so far escorted 3,000 merchant vessels to safety and foiled piracy attacks on 46 ships at other locations. A report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) showed a decrease in piracy cases reported across the world.

 

While 245 cases took place last year, the figure for 2015 is 223. The IMB, which is based in the United Kingdom, said a crackdown by the Navy has reduced serious attacks in southeast Asia. However, IMB urges vessels to maintain vigilance while travelling in Somalia waters as the threat has not been eliminated completely . A day prior to the Navy Day celebrations, the WNC Vice Admiral SPS Cheema said the economy is directly linked to the growth in commerce and most of India's voluminous trade is carried out using the sea route for import and export.

"The Middle East remains a key source of the country's crude oil imports. The Navy ensures that the trade via the sea is safe at all times thereby guaranteeing unhindered growth of our economy . Our efforts have resulted in zero piracy this year in Gulf of Aden and Somalia," said Cheema. He said good coordination with all agencies and stakeholders--Coast Guard, Marine Police, Customs, the fishing boats--is encouraged to prevent threats emanating from the sea.

 

The pirates have been kept on their toes since 2011 when the Navy and the Coast Guard officials caught 120 of them from Somalia in three different attacks. Given India's location, the Navy is required to continuously monitor eight major shipping lanes, with a large number of foreign warships being present round the clock. More than one lakh ships pass through the waters along India's coast annually .

"If this trade were to be disrupted, then it would not only be India's but the world economy's loss," said Cheema.

[TNN]

 

RELATED

 

No comments:

Post a Comment