In an effort to counter China’s determined bid to spread its influence in the Indian Ocean, India is strengthening its ties with countries on the rim of this region given their strategic importance for the country. As part of this endeavour, Navy Chief Admiral RK Dhowan is visiting Seychelles and will gift a fast-attack craft to the island country on Friday.
The Indian Navy has given reconnaissance aircraft, fast attack boats and radars to countries in the Indian Ocean region including Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. Moreover, the Navy regularly carries out anti-piracy and anti-terrorism patrols in the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of these countries as a goodwill gesture and spread its arc of influence.
Indian Ocean region is of prime importance for the Indian Navy as more than 70 per cent of imports including oil for the country comes through sea lanes of this ocean. Also, many major powers are now focusing their attention on the Indian Ocean and China has started carrying out long range patrols thereby posing a challenge to the Indian security interests.
In addition, Beijing is cozying up to many countries in this region and opened an embassy in Maldives two years back. This development is a matter of concern as Maldives is strategically important for India. Given this scenario, Dhowan’s four-day visit is important as it forms part of the ongoing effort to bolster ties with these nations, officials said here on Thursday. The Navy chief will hand over the second fast attack craft to shore up Coast Guard of Seychelles against piracy. Dhowan will also hold talks with top officials besides calling on the President there.
India has provided a comprehensive maritime security solution including provisioning of military hardware, training, consultancy as well as hydrographic assistance to the Seychelles Government.
The first craft, SCG Topaz (formerly INS Tarmugli) was gifted to Seychelles in 2005 and has served the Seychelles Coast Guard well, having carried out several anti-piracy patrols and captured several pirates. INS Tarasa, which was recently refitted at Naval Dockyard Mumbai, will join her sister ship SCG Topaz as part of the Indian Navy’s assistance to Seychelles Coast Guard in capacity building. The Indian Navy will also deploy a maintenance and support team to assist the Seychelles Coast Guard.
The Car Nicobar class vessel is equipped with Furuno navigation radar, surface search radars and a sonar system. The ship has a sewage treatment plant and a reverse osmosis plant for desalination. The main gun fitted on the bow deck is a CRN-91 30 mm auto-cannon. It is the naval version of the 2A42 30 mm Medak gun. It can fire 550 rounds a minute for a maximum range of 4,000 metres. The craft is also armed with two 12.7mm heavy machine guns, multiple medium machine guns and has anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability.
The Navy chief’s visit coincides with the docking of four Indian naval ships at Port Victoria, Seychelles. INS Mumbai, Talwar, Teg and Deepak under the Command of Rear Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, are on a two-month long overseas deployment to East Africa and the South Indian Ocean region.
Three of the four ships, INS Mumbai, INS Talwar and INS Deepak arrived at Port Victoria on Thursday towards bolstering bilateral ties and reinforcing cooperation in maritime security between India and the Seychelles. During the stay, the ships would be kept open to public. Various cultural events and games between the two navies are scheduled to strengthen bonds of friendship between the two nations.
India--Seychelles ties