Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 18: The Indian Navy has increased the deployment of its warships near the Gulf of Oman and is escorting Indian-flagged vessels passing through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in West Asia that have sparked concerns about global energy security.
According to government sources, Indian tankers are continuing to travel through the Strait of Hormuz under naval protection. Ships including INS Shivalik, INS Nanda Devi, and INS Jag Ladki have already safely reached Indian ports after being escorted by naval vessels.
The enhanced presence is part of the Navy’s mission-based deployment framework, which has maintained at least one warship in the Gulf of Oman since 2017. Due to the current security situation, the number of warships in the region was first increased from one to three and has now been raised further, though officials have not disclosed the exact figure.
Sources also said that 22 Indian vessels are currently located west of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the importance of naval protection along these sensitive maritime routes.
Two major naval operations are currently active in the region:
• Operation Sankalp in the Gulf of Oman to safeguard merchant shipping.
• An ongoing anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said the Navy’s presence in the region is primarily for anti-piracy and maritime security operations, with additional operational details to be shared by the Ministry of Defence.
Beyond the Gulf region, the Indian Navy maintains mission-based deployments in several other maritime zones, including waters near Seychelles along the Cape of Good Hope route, around Maldives, near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and in the Bay of Bengal close to the Myanmar–Bangladesh maritime region.
During such deployments, Indian naval ships also conduct joint exercises with friendly navies and undertake humanitarian assistance, rescue missions, and anti-piracy operations when needed.