The Indian Navy continues to remain on high alert since tension broke out at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh between India and China last year, and is keeping a close watch on Chinese ships deployed in Indian Ocean Region, said navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on 3 December.
Admiral Kumar, who took over as chief of naval staff on November 30, was addressing his first press conference ahead of Navy Day observed on December 4.
“When there were tensions at the northern borders, our ships were out for mission-based deployment. All other ships were ready for any escalation in the situation,” the new navy chief said, adding, “we kept their (Chinese) ships under close surveillance, which we continue to do even now.”
He added, “Any of their ships coming on deployment, we keep a watch on them. We maintain a fairly good maritime domain awareness in our area of responsibility.”
Last year, amid heightened tensions in eastern Ladakh between India and China, the navy had deployed a large number of ships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from its eastern fleet.
Admiral Kumar further said the Chinese navy had been present in the Indian Ocean since 2008, and three to eight of their ships were deployed in the region at any given time.
He also said the Chinese navy had built 138 ships in the last 10 years and, in terms of naval assets, it had emerged as the largest navy globally. Talking about expansion plans of the Indian navy, Admiral Kumar said over a period of time, it had evolved from 33 ships to a 130-ship force.
Discounting any comparison to the growing Chinese navy, he said the Indian Navy was a potent and well-balanced force. “We don’t go into bean counting or develop capabilities in response to a particular country. We develop capability based on our maritime interests,” he said, adding, “therefore, our planning and preparedness is to ensure preservation of our maritime interests.”
The navy chief further said the Indo-Pacific region was of great importance to India. “We have about $200-billion trade passing through and have our diaspora staying in littorals in the region,” he said.
