NEW DELHI — Indian Navy warships have docked in China as part of a goodwill visit while another ship is in Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
“Four ships of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet entered Shanghai today on a four-day port visit. The four IN ships Rana, Shivalik, Karmukh and Shakti under the command of Rear Admiral P Ajit Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet are on an operational deployment to the South China Sea and North West Pacific,” says an Indian Defence Ministry statement.
Last year, Indian warships dropped anchor at Nha Trang port in southern Vietnam for the first time even as India and Vietnam decided to begin joint explorations in the area.
India’s Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command is sending four of its warships to ports in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and other nations in the region as part of its regular deployment of its surface combatants , said an Indian Navy official.
Even as four ships visit China, another Indian warship, INS Savitri, is in Port Victoria, Seychelles.
“INS Savitri is planned to participate in the National Day celebrations of Seychelles and thereafter be deployed for about two months to undertake surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Seychelles and Mauritius,” says the release.
INS Tabar continues its deployment in the Gulf of Aden on convoy escort and anti-piracy patrol.
The Western Fleet of the Indian Navy is also set to deploy four ships on an overseas deployment to the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the western Mediterranean.
“Such long range deployments, covering the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, bear testimony to the blue water capabilities and operational readiness of the Indian Navy,” says the release.