Indian Navy’ New Mission Based Deployment in Indian Ocean Region.

TNPSC Current Affairs - November 2017 by TNPSC Guru - For Mains

Indian Navy has increases its patrolling in Indian Ocean region (IOR) stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait, with the aim to curb increasing maritime threats also to check the Chinese Dominance under its new “mission based Deployment”.

About new Mission based deployment:

AS per the new mission based deployment concept, the plan is to deploy mission ready ships and aircraft along with critical sea lanes of communication and various choke points from Persian Gulf to Malacca straits.

As per the new mission, there will be a round the clock surveillance with the help of 36-45 ships in the region with rotational basis of deployment, transit and maintenance. The ships include destroyer, frigates, corvettes, large patrol vessels.

This will make Indian army is the net security provider in IOR and also the first responder in case of any threats, Assistance and more. For Instance last May, Indian Navy is the first to assist Sri Lanka during floods and also Myanmar and Bangladesh Post cyclone.

India and Malacca Strait:

India is trying to join the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP), by Joining MSP India can curb the Chinese presence in Indian Ocean. Also India will get access to real-time data of commercial ships and naval platforms.

Due to the recent deployment of Indian Navy, it tries to dominate the Malacca Strait. Malacca strait which connects Indian Ocean with South China sea and Pacific Ocean

Malacca strait is one of the important shipping lanes in the world from an economic and strategic perspective. Around 90,000 merchant ships, oil and gas cargos sails annually through the Malacca strait.

To give security in this region, in 2006 Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand jointly formed MSP(Malacca Straits Patrol) to provide security. MSP which includes Malacca Straits Sea Patrol , Eyes in the sky combined Maritime Air patrols and Intelligence Exchange group.

As a huge importer of energy from west Asian countries, China has been trying to make dominance in Malacca Strait to control the trade. But Strait of Malacca considered as weak point of China’s maritime strategy. 

Note :

Malacca Strait is a narrow 890 km stretch water located between Malaysia and Sumatra Island (Indonesia).