In the ongoing effort to strengthen strategic ties with littoral nations in Indian Ocean, India has gifted aircraft spares for Coast Guard of Mauritius. These spares are meant to keep maritime reconnaissance aircraft of Mauritius operational for maintaining vigil of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Mauritius operates Defender reconnaissance aircraft and India has a vast pool of spares as the Indian Navy was operating a variant of this aircraft before fazing them out some years back.
The critical spares including Allison engines were gifted to the island nation in Port louis in a ceremony on Friday on board INS Sukanaya by Indian High Commissioner TP Seetharam to Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs Arvin Boolell, officials said here on Saturday.
Boolell thanked India for the gesture and reiterated the longstanding cooperation between the two countries. The consignment of spares will assist Mauritius in keeping their vital air assets operational to patrol their EEZ against piracy and poaching as well as provide search and rescue.
Incidentally, Indian ships and aircraft also carry out patrols in EEZs of Mauritius, Maldives and Seychelles to check piracy, illegal maritime trade and secure sea lanes for trade. Moreover, India has gifted Dornier aircraft to Maldives and Seychelles and operates these aircraft besides training crew of these nations.
In addition to providing aircraft and aircraft spares, the three decades old India-Mauritian Defence relationship includes cooperation in hydrography, supply of patrol vessels and provision of training to Mauritian personnel.
The spares for the aircraft were carried by INS Sukanya which is on a deployment to undertake EEZ surveillance and joint patrols, along with Mauritian ships, officials said adding Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi during a visit to Mauritius in February had also handed over an inshore hydrographic survey vessel to Mauritius.
Given the strategic importance of Indian Ocean, India took the lead seven years back to form Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) to bring together all the littoral nations in the region under one umbrella. These nations meet every year to discuss issues like terrorism, piracy, pollution and other issues and measures taken to tackle these challenges. At present, there are more IONS has 30 member countries.