Mumbai India is closely monitoring the movement of all ships in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean area ever since the Pakistan-Chinese project of Gwadar Port, west of Karachi, became operational, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Indian Navy, said on Friday.
“The PLA (People’s Liberation Army of China) Navy is of concern since there has been an increase in the movement of its ships and submarines in our area,” Luthra told journalists at a press conference aboard the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikramaditya, an aircraft carrier.
India as well as other navies operating in the region are closely watching this movement, he said. India will ensure that its interests are always taken care of. “As far as Gwadar Port is concerned, the first merchant ship sailed out of it recently and the port is in the process of being operationalised.”
The Indian Navy is deployed in various locations and has its increased or decreased presence as per the legal provisions, he added.
Due to the prevailing security scenario in the region and developments in the recent past, “There is a high degree of combat readiness and the Western Naval Command is ready to face any emergent situation. Recently, on November 16, we conducted an operational exercise named Paschim Lehar in which a large number of ships, submarines and aircraft participated over a span of nine days, along with the Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.
“This was to test our operational readiness, mobilisation and synchronisation. The Navy is fully ready to address any threats and committed to protect the country’s maritime interests.”
He also emphasised on the indigenously-made warships, pointing out that INS Chennai was the third and last ship of Kolkata Class in Project 15 A series. Now, under Project 15 B, four destroyers are being manufactured with the first ship being named INS Vishakapatnam and commissioned into the Navy in 2018.
Friday’s press conference was part of the Navy Week celebrations, among several events, during the first week of December with the Navy Day falling on December 4 — the date on which during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict, Indian naval ships attacked Karachi harbour and destroyed several warships of that country.
