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Navy Chief Signals Major Indian Ocean Expansion
22 Feb
Summary
- India plans a second IOS Sagar deployment with broader international participation.
- The initiative aims to enhance interoperability and combat illegal activities.
- A new task force for the Indian Ocean Region is being considered.
India's Navy Chief, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, has indicated a substantial increase in New Delhi's maritime engagement across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Speaking at the Goa Maritime Conclave, he announced the forthcoming IOS Sagar 2.0 initiative, which is set to involve a broader coalition of participating nations compared to its predecessor.
The inaugural IOS Sagar deployment, which lasted 40 days last April, saw participation from nine navies. Naval sources suggest that an offshore patrol vessel will likely be dispatched to Southeast Asian waters around April-May for IOS Sagar 2.0. Admiral Tripathi highlighted that the first deployment was positively received by political leaders in participating countries.
Discussions are also progressing regarding the establishment of a formal IOR task force. Admiral Tripathi expressed India's support for such a collaborative mechanism, emphasizing the need for consensus among nations. This initiative is viewed as a crucial step towards enhancing interoperability and addressing shared maritime security challenges, including illegal fishing and narcotics trafficking.
