The Indian Navy is one the most dominant navies in the world today and continues to maintain dominance especially in the Indian Ocean. Post the Pulwama attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Navy reportedly made deployments towards Pakistan and maintained sustained surveillance according to Admiral Sunil Lanba, Outgoing Indian Navy Chief.
Indian Navy Chief – Admiral Lanba, who retires on May 31, said the Navy had, over the past couple of years, started permanent deployments at all ingress routes of the Indian Ocean.
“We maintain our dominance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and will continue to do so. We monitor all Chinese warships,” said Lanba when questioned whether India’s dominance would continue despite China’s growing interests in the IOR.
India has been maintaining a permanent deployment in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen since 2008. In the past couple of years, the Indian Navy has added patrolling in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa and the island countries.
In the past 24 months, it has added patrols at the Straits of Malacca — world’s busiest sea trade route lying a couple of hundred miles south-east of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Referring to the Indian Navy’s role after the February 14 Pulwama attack, the Admiral said: “The Navy terminated its ongoing exercise, made deployments towards the north of Arabian Sea (facing Pakistan) and maintained sustained surveillance” He did not clearly respond to the question on the outcome if the Navy was asked to launch an attack on Pakistan according to an interview with TribuneIndia.
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According to defence experts that EurAsian Times talked to – The biggest advantage India has over Pakistan is the Naval power. Indian Navy is overwhelmingly superior to the Navy of Pakistan and had Indian IAF Polit Wing Commander Abhinandan not been handed over, India had the option of using its mighty Navy stun Pakistan and overcome their limited resistance.
On the aircraft carrier, the Lanba stated, “We have decided the form and fit of the carrier and its propulsion; an approval is awaited from MoD.” India has a goal of having a three-carrier Navy. It has INS Vikramaditya while the second carrier, INS Vikrant, is under construction and expected to go for trials in 2020. The Navy wants its third carrier to be a 65,000-tonne warship with the latest technology of EMALS, which enables the electromagnetic launch of fighter aircraft from the deck.
