ID :
31458
Fri, 11/21/2008 - 14:34
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http://m.oananews.org//node/31458
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India mulls increase in number of warships to fight pirates
New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Buoyed by a rare victory for its Navy in the sea war against Somali pirates, India Thursday mulled deploying up to four more warships in the Gulf of Aden to secure the sea lanes following a surge in piracy that has threatened commercial shipping in the region.
"Yes, we are considering a proposal to increase the number of warships in Gulf of Aden to fight the pirates and to protect merchant ships flying the Indian flag," a top Navy officer said here. The Defence Ministry is considering the proposal made from the Shipping ministry and a final decision is expected to be taken shortly, the officer said.
The government also said the country can take recourse to any action under two UN resolutions to deal with the unprecedented level of piracy off the Somalian coast that has stunned the international maritime community.
Indian Navy already has one warship--INS Tabar-- deployed in the area since Nov.2 and has successfully taken on
the pirates thrice over the last one week, the latest being
the destruction of a 'mother ship' of the pirates which was
sunk on Tuesday night.
Navy officials also met Defence Minister A K Antony
Thursday to discuss the developments in the wake of the Indian
frigate's success.
With regard to rushing more ships to the region, the
assessment here is that such a deployment by a single country
on a long-term basis would not be feasible in terms of
logistics.
India has already mooted joint deployment of warships
by various countries, particularly those in the Gulf, under
the UN flag in the area to secure the sealanes.
The proposal is being considered by various countries,
Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs N Ravi
told reporters here.
Ravi said India has conveyed to the UN Security
Council its desire to use all necessary means to act against
piracy and armed robberies on high seas.
He, however, referred to two UN resolutions 1816 and
1838, and said these permit "all countries to take recourse to
a particular method by which they can deal with this problem."
India told an International Maritime Organisation
meeting last Friday that it seeks a UN-mandated international
operation against piracy, which is turning out to be a major
concern for all nations with shipping interests in the
Arabian Sea.
"No amount of naval assets of a single nation is
adequate to fight the pirates. But there are already three
groups of navies carrying out anti-piracy operations in the
region, such as the (US-led) Task Force 150, NATO and the
European Union. But their efforts are not coordinated well,
hence the complexities. That's precisely why we are asking for
an UN arrangement," Naval officers said.
Besides India, several other countries including the US
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) have warships
patrolling the area. But attacks have continued unabated off
Somalia, whichhas had no functioning government since 1991.
Another challenge was the paradigm shift in the way
pirates operated in the Gulf of Aden, compared to the Malacca
Straits.
In the Malacca Straits, the hub of piracy a few years
earlier, the issue was pilferage of cargo and theft of
property on-board merchant vessels. The situation now is
mostly under control there. PTI
"Yes, we are considering a proposal to increase the number of warships in Gulf of Aden to fight the pirates and to protect merchant ships flying the Indian flag," a top Navy officer said here. The Defence Ministry is considering the proposal made from the Shipping ministry and a final decision is expected to be taken shortly, the officer said.
The government also said the country can take recourse to any action under two UN resolutions to deal with the unprecedented level of piracy off the Somalian coast that has stunned the international maritime community.
Indian Navy already has one warship--INS Tabar-- deployed in the area since Nov.2 and has successfully taken on
the pirates thrice over the last one week, the latest being
the destruction of a 'mother ship' of the pirates which was
sunk on Tuesday night.
Navy officials also met Defence Minister A K Antony
Thursday to discuss the developments in the wake of the Indian
frigate's success.
With regard to rushing more ships to the region, the
assessment here is that such a deployment by a single country
on a long-term basis would not be feasible in terms of
logistics.
India has already mooted joint deployment of warships
by various countries, particularly those in the Gulf, under
the UN flag in the area to secure the sealanes.
The proposal is being considered by various countries,
Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs N Ravi
told reporters here.
Ravi said India has conveyed to the UN Security
Council its desire to use all necessary means to act against
piracy and armed robberies on high seas.
He, however, referred to two UN resolutions 1816 and
1838, and said these permit "all countries to take recourse to
a particular method by which they can deal with this problem."
India told an International Maritime Organisation
meeting last Friday that it seeks a UN-mandated international
operation against piracy, which is turning out to be a major
concern for all nations with shipping interests in the
Arabian Sea.
"No amount of naval assets of a single nation is
adequate to fight the pirates. But there are already three
groups of navies carrying out anti-piracy operations in the
region, such as the (US-led) Task Force 150, NATO and the
European Union. But their efforts are not coordinated well,
hence the complexities. That's precisely why we are asking for
an UN arrangement," Naval officers said.
Besides India, several other countries including the US
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) have warships
patrolling the area. But attacks have continued unabated off
Somalia, whichhas had no functioning government since 1991.
Another challenge was the paradigm shift in the way
pirates operated in the Gulf of Aden, compared to the Malacca
Straits.
In the Malacca Straits, the hub of piracy a few years
earlier, the issue was pilferage of cargo and theft of
property on-board merchant vessels. The situation now is
mostly under control there. PTI
