Page 2 - Maritime Security

Navy holds operation in Arabian Sea, demonstrating operation readiness

"Piracy has resurfaced as an industry to gain from the disorder in the region. We will take affirmative action to prevent that," the Navy chief said

35 pirates, caught in mid-sea op by Navy, to be prosecuted in India: Report

35 Somali pirates were forced to surrender by the Indian Navy about 2,600 km from the Indian coast after it intercepted the ex-MV Ruen, hijacked by them for carrying out attacks on other vessels

Indian Navy ship, commandos force pirates to surrender, rescue MV Ruen crew

Merchant vessel MV Ruen was hijacked by Somali pirates on December 14

Red Sea crisis impact on trade data will be visible in FY24: GTRI

With escalating everyday attacks and no end in sight, the Red Sea crisis will adversely impact trade volumes in substantial ways in 2024, according to the report of economic think tank GTRI. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that rising shipping, and insurance costs and delayed arrival of shipments will continue to disrupt global value chains, squeeze margins, and make exports of many low-margin products unviable from current locations. Countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe will face the most disruption across industries, it added. It said that the disruption is significantly impacting Indian trade, especially with the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. India, heavily reliant on the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait for crude oil and LNG imports and trade with key regions, faces substantial economic and security risks from any disruption in this area. About 65 per cent of India's crude oil imports in FY2023, valued at USD 105 billion, from countries like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and ...

Yemen's Houthi rebels attack Liberian-flagged container in Red Sea

An attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels saw an explosion take place near a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Red Sea on Monday, though the blast caused no damage, authorities said. The master of the vessel reported the explosion and said no one was hurt, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The UKMTO later identified the vessel as the Pinocchio, managed by a Singaporean firm. The private security firm Ambrey say the incident may have involved a missile, but information remained scarce. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed the attack early Tuesday in a prerecorded statement, claiming the Pinocchio was an American ship without offering evidence to support the assertion. He also claimed the vessel was hit by naval missiles, again providing no evidence to support the claim. He said the Houthis would continue their attacks, aimed at pressuring an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. However, the Houthi attacks

Ships entering Yemeni waters must obtain permit, says Houthi minister

In normal times, more than a quarter of global container cargo - including apparel, appliances, auto parts, chemicals and agricultural products like coffee - move via the Suez Canal

Govt expects piracy attacks to rise in Red Sea, stretching navy resources

The attacks in the Arabian and Red Sea were the focus of discussions between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Indian counterpart Jaishankar at the recent Munich Security Conference

Indian Navy warship provides assistance to merchant vessel in Gulf of Aden

An Indian warship provided critical assistance to a merchant vessel after it caught fire following a suspected drone or missile attack in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a series of such support missions in the region. Palau-flagged vessel MV Islander came under attack on Thursday and a crew member of the ship sustained injuries, Indian military officials said on Saturday. An explosive ordnance disposal team of the Navy embarked the vessel and sanitised it for any residual risk following which the vessel was cleared for onward transit, they said. The fresh incident comes amid growing global concerns over attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. A medical team of the Indian Navy also embarked MV Islander and provided medical assistance to the injured crew member, they said. In a swift response to a distress call from the vessel, the Indian warship arrived in the vicinity of the cargo ship within a few hours to provide critical support, an official .

India, France working closely in Indian Ocean, says French Navy Chief

The two sides affirmed the significant progress in bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations

India Inc shows signs of the Red Sea conflict in Q3FY24 performance

Capital goods and engineering companies - Bharat Electronics, TD Power Systems and KEC International, all have noted some operational strain owing to Red Sea woes

PMO likely to review Red Sea conflict impact on trade and logistics

Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen have been repeatedly attacking ships in the Red Sea, and this has forced commercial vessels to take a longer route to avoid the troubled region

Indian Coast Guard Day 2024: Theme, History, Importance & Other Details

On February 1, Indian Coast Guard Day is observed. The day aims to honour the commitment of the Coast Guard and is devoted to the officials and personnel who care for India's maritime security

Global trade being disrupted by Red Sea attacks, war in Ukraine, says UN

The UN trade body sounded an alarm on Thursday that global trade is being disrupted by attacks in the Red Sea, the war in Ukraine, and low water levels in the Panama Canal. Jan Hoffmann, a trade expert at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development known as UNCTAD, warned that shipping costs have already surged and energy and food costs are being affected, raising inflation risks. Since attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea began in November, he said, major players in the shipping industry have temporarily halted using Egypt's Suez Canal, a critical waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and a vital route for energy and cargo between Asia and Europe. The Suez Canal handled 12 per cent to 15 per cent of global trade in 2023, but UNCTAD estimates that the trade volume going through the waterway dropped by 42 per cent over the last two months, Hoffmann said. Since November, the Iranian-backed Houthis have launched at least 34 attacks on

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders bags Rs 1,070 crore worth contract from MoD

The patrol vessels will be equipped with multipurpose drones, artificial intelligence capability, and wirelessly controlled remote water rescue craft to boost Indian Coast Guard's capability

India, France, UAE conduct joint mega air exercise over Arabian Sea

India, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carried out a mega air exercise over the Arabian Sea against the backdrop of the rising global concerns over Houthi militants targeting several commercial vessels in the strategic waterways in the region. The exercise 'Desert Knight', conducted on Tuesday, featured several frontline aerial assets and combat jets of the air forces of the three countries, officials said. The Indian Air Force (IAF) component at the drills consisted of Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar fighter jets besides AWACS (airborne early warning and control aircraft, C-130-J transport plane and air-to-air refuelling aircraft. "The main focus of exercise 'Desert Knight' was on enhancing synergy and interoperability between the three air forces," the Indian Air Force said. The exercise took place in the Indian FIR (Flight Information Regions) and with IAF aircraft operated from several bases in India. All airspace worldwide is divided into FIRs and each of them is manag

Japan's ship Yashima arrives in Chennai for joint exercise with ICG

The Japan Coast Guard ship Yashima has arrived in Chennai to conduct a joint exercise with the Indian Coast Guard.Upon its arrival, the JCG Ship was given a traditional welcome with a ceremonial band, NCC cadets and students from local schools.The Indian Coast Guard on Thursday shared a post on X, stating, "Japan Coast Guard Ship Yashima arrived #Chennai for joint exercise with @IndiaCoastGuard. JCG Ship was given traditional welcome by delegation from Regional HQ (East) with ceremonial band, NCC cadets & students from local schools."Earlier on Wednesday, the Commanding Officer of JCG Ship Yashima, Captain Yuichi Motoyama, called on IG Donny Michael, Tamil Nadu, Commander Coast Guard Region (East) at Chennai.They further discussed avenues to strengthen bilateral cooperation by sharing expertise as well as, best practices were discussed."Captain Yuichi Motoyama, Commanding Officer, Japan Coast Guard Ship Yashima called on IG Donny Michael, TM, Commander Coast Guard Region (East) .

INS Kabra docks in Colombo, move aimed at boosting maritime cooperation

Indian warship, INS Kabra, an indigenous fast attack craft, docked at the Colombo port on Monday, in a move aimed at fostering bilateral ties between the two countries.The warship was accorded a warm welcome by the Sri Lankan Navy as it arrived in the island nation, the Indian Navy said in an official press release.During the port call, the Commanding Officer, INS Kabra called on the Commander, Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral TSK Perera.The Navy informed through a statement, "In a presentation ceremony, essential spares and stores meant for the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force were handed over by the ship. The visit further strengthens the bilateral cooperation and camaraderie between the two Navies in keeping with the Prime Minister's vision of SAGAR."Taking to its official X handle, the Indian Navy posted, "#INSKabra, the indigenous Fast Attack Craft, arrived #Colombo, #08Jan 24 The ship was accorded warm welcome by @srilanka_navy Handed over essential spares for #SriLankaNavy & .

Ship robberies rise 19% in Southeast Asia, no piracy in Asian seas: Report

No report of piracy incidents occurred on the Asian high seas but 99 actual incidents and one attempted armed robbery against ships occurred in Southeast Asian waters in 2023, a Singapore based maritime organisation reported said on Tuesday. Though the 100 incidents in 2023 increased by 19 per cent over 2022, these were small-time robberies, with theft of items such as nominal value wires, brass ship products, engine spares and scraps, Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) executive director Krishnaswamy Natarajan said at the annual press conference. Such incidents were five in India in 2023, the same as those in 2022, while Bangladesh and Malaysia reported one incident each, compared to five and two incidents in 2022, respectively. Reviewing the year, Natarajan pointed out that the increase in incidents occurred in Indonesia, the Philippines, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), Thailand and Vietnam. Of concern was the occurrence of

Navy intensifies maritime security ops in Arabian Sea following attacks

Notably, these measures are being taken in the wake of the attack by a suspected drone on merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto on December 23

India takes over as co-chair of IONS Working Groups on Maritime Security

India has taken over as co-chair of the IONS Working Groups on Maritime Security and HADR for the forthcoming cycle, officials said on Friday. The eighth Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs was conducted by the Royal Thai Navy in Bangkok from December 19-22, the defence ministry said in a statement. The chiefs of navies and senior delegates from 27 member and observer countries took part in the event, it said. Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar attended the event with a three-member naval delegation. During the conclave, Thailand assumed the duties of "chair of IONS and the work plan for the next two years was finalised", the statement added. "As a first, a flag designed by India was selected as the IONS flag. India also took over as the co-chair of IONS Working Groups on Maritime Security and HADR for the forthcoming cycle. Republic of Korea Navy was welcomed by the conclave as the latest 'observer', raising the collective strength of IONS to 34 (25 members