Page 4 - Navy

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissions INS Sandhayak, warns pirates

INS Sandhayak, the first of four Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ships, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Saturday at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Stating that the SVL ship will go a long way in obtaining information about the oceans and achieving the twin objectives of protecting the country as well as others, Singh warned that those involved in maritime piracy and smuggling will not be tolerated. The primary role of INS Sandhayak is to carry out full scale hydrographic surveys of ports, harbours, navigational channels, routes, coastal areas and deep seas to enable safe marine navigation. "Many choke points, like the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Guinea etc. are present in the Indian Ocean, through which a large amount of international trade takes place. Many threats remain at these choke points, the biggest being from pirates," Singh said, referring to the Indian Navy's prompt response to rescue ships from pirates. The minister

Coast Guard to celebrate growth in role, power on 48th Raising Day

The force maintains order in international shipping lanes, India's vast seas and 7,500-km shoreline

In separate missions, Navy rescues two hijacked vessels in Arabian Sea

The Indian Navy rescued an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel with 19 Pakistani crew members and a Sri Lankan trawler in two swift operations after armed pirates hijacked the boats in the Arabian Sea amid deteriorating security situation arising out of Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeting various cargo ships in the region. Indian warship INS Somalia rescued fishing vessel (FV) Al Naeemi from 11 Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia on Monday, in the second such rescue of an Iranian-flagged vessel in the troubled region, officials said. In total, the Indian Navy rescued three hijacked vessels in the Arabian Sea since January 28. "Indian naval ship Sumitra, having thwarted the piracy attempt on FV Iman, has carried out yet another successful anti-piracy operation off the east coast of Somalia, rescuing fishing vessel Al Naeemi and her 19 Pakistani crew from 11 Somali pirates," Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. The warship had responded to a distress call from FV Iman

India's greater capability warrants its help in difficult situations: EAM

Amid the attack on merchant navy vessels in the Red Sea and deployment of the Indian Navy's ships in the region, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India's greater capability, its own interest and reputation today warrant that it actually help in difficult situations. The Indian Navy has deployed 10 of its ships in the region, Jaishankar said responding to a question at an interaction at the Indian Institute of Management, Mumbai. India's greater capability, our own interest and our reputation today warrant that we actually help out in difficult situations, he said. We will not be considered a responsible country if bad things are happening around our neighbourhood and we say I have got nothing to do with this, Jaishankar said. On the 'India Out' campaign in Maldives, Jaishankar said at the end of the day neighbours need each other. History and geography are very powerful forces. There is no escape from that, he added. Notably, Indian warship INS Sumitra rescu

Indian Navy rescues 19 Pakistanis, vessel hijacked by Somali pirates

Indian Navy rescue mission: The Indian Navy's operation followed a day after INS Sumitra had successfully rescued a hijacked Iranian-flagged vessel MV Iman from Somali pirates

Indian naval warship near Somalia ensures safe release of hijacked vessel

An Indian naval warship deployed along the east coast of Somalia responded to a distress call regarding hijacking of an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel after it was boarded by some pirates. Navy officials on Monday said that the swift response by the Indian Navy's mission deployed warship INS Sumitra ensured the safe release of the hijacked vessel and its crew. "INS Sumitra, on anti-piracy operations along the East Coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, responded to a distress message regarding hijacking of an Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel Iman. The vessel had been boarded by pirates and the crew was taken as hostages," Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel and acted in accordance with the established SOPs to coerce the pirates for safe release of the crew along with the boat, he said. It ensured the successful release of all 17 crew members and the boat, the spokesperson said. The vessel was subsequently sanitised and released for onwar

Indian Navy contains fire onboard missile-hit cargo vessel in Gulf of Aden

The Indian Navy on Saturday contained a fire onboard a commercial oil tanker with 22 Indian crew in the Gulf of Aden while swiftly responding to a distress call from the vessel after it was struck by a missile on the key shipping route that witnessed similar strikes in the last few weeks. Following the Mayday call from the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel MV Marlin Luanda on Friday night, the Indian Navy deployed its guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam to assist the vessel. Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said in New Delhi that after six hours of battling the fire, along with the crew of MV Marlin Luanda, the Indian Naval firefighting team has successfully brought the blaze under control. The missile attack on the vessel reportedly by Iran-backed Houthi militants came amid increasing global concerns over the security situation in the Red Sea as well as the Gulf of Aden. The vessel is operated by UK-based Oceonix Services. The Houthis have been targeting commercial .

Houthi attack: Navy deploys fire-fighting team on board British oil tanker

The Indian Navy on Saturday said its guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam has deployed a team to help fire-fighting efforts on board British oil tanker MV Marlin Luanda which has got 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew members. According to foreign media reports, the tanker caught fire after a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi militants, the latest incident linked to the Iran-backed group in the key shipping route Gulf of Aden. On a request from MV Marlin Luanda, INS Visakhapatnam has deployed its NBCD team along with fire-fighting equipment to render assistance to the crew towards augmenting fire-fighting efforts on board the distressed ship, a Navy spokesperson said. "The Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed towards safeguarding MVs (merchant vessels) and ensuring safety of life at sea," the Indian Navy said. The operator of the British oil tanker has said the vessel had been "struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden after transiting the Red Sea", according to the ...

Defence ministry inks Rs 1,070 cr contract with Mazagon Dock for 14 FPVs

"These multi-role Fast Patrol Vessels (FPV) will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by MDL and will be delivered in total 63 months," announced the MoD in a media release

Navy rescues crew after Houthis attack vessel near coast of Yemen

The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and have threatened to target U.S. ships in response to American and British strikes on the group's positions

Stalin writes to EAM to secure release of detained fishermen in Sri Lanka

'I would like to draw your attention to the apprehension of 12 fishermen and three fishing boats by the Sri Lankan Navy on January 13,' CM Stalin stated in the letter

Taiwan tracks 8 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval ships on election day

Taiwan, in response, sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the PLA activity

US, UK strike Yemen to counter Houthi attacks; Tesla, Volvo halt production

A US official said more than a dozen locations were targeted in strikes that were not just symbolic but intended to weaken the Houthis' military capabilities

Navy proactively deploying fleet to keep pirates at bay: Admiral R Hari

The Navy chief added that there have only been two incidents, so far, which prompted the marine warriors to conduct anti-piracy operations

Sri Lanka Navy ready to send ship to Red Sea to protect merchant vessels

The Sri Lanka Navy on Monday said it is ready to send a naval ship to the Red Sea to combat the threat to merchant vessel lines by Houthi rebels, joining countries such as India, in protecting the key waterway for global trade. The announcement comes following last week's orders of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had declared the cost as Rs 250 million every fortnight. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than 20 attacks on merchant ships in recent weeks, claiming to take revenge against Israel for its military campaign against Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza. These attacks have sharply raised goods' transportation costs between Asia and Europe. Newswire Lanka quoted Navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya as saying that but the exact date of deployment is yet to be confirmed. The vessels would be covering the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and connected sea lanes. Captain Wickramasuriya went on to say that initially one ship would be deployed as pa

Case involving Indians in Qatar: Legal team has 60 days to appeal, says MEA

The legal team of eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel was given 60 days to appeal against the ruling by Qatar's court of appeal, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Last month, the Court of Appeal in Qatar commuted the death sentence handed down to the Indians and sentenced them to prison for varying durations. The verdict came weeks after the family members of the Indians filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. Sixty days' time has been given to file an appeal against the order at Qatar's highest court, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi assumes role of vice chief of Navy

Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Thursday assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Navy succeeding Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, who became Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the crucial Western Naval Command. Prior to taking charge as the vice chief, Vice Admiral Tripathi was serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1985. A Communication and electronic warfare specialist, he served on frontline warships of the Navy as signal communication officer and electronic warfare officer. Vice Admiral Tripathi commanded Indian naval ships Vinash, Kirch and Trishul. He has also held various important operational and staff appointments, including fleet operations officer of the Western Fleet at Mumbai, director of naval operations and principal director of network centric operations and naval plans in Delhi. On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he

Will deploy naval vessel in Red Sea to fight Houthi attacks: Sri Lanka Prez

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that Sri Lanka will provide a Navy vessel to fight attacks by Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea, joining countries like India in protecting the key waterway for global trade. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched more than 20 attacks on merchant ships in recent weeks, claiming to take revenge against Israel for its military campaign against Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza. These attacks have sharply raised goods costs between Asia and Europe. Addressing an award ceremony here on Wednesday, Wickremesinghe, who holds the defence ministry portfolio, noted that merchant shipping was hit by Houthi attacks at the Red Sea and said if the ships were to be diverted and re-routed around South Africa, the voyages would become much more expensive. This could create (an) escalation of the cost of goods. "So we have agreed to send a Naval vessel to combat Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, he said. The Houthis, who control most

Indian Navy participates in Beypore International Water Fest in Kerala

The Indian Navy participated in the Beypore International Water Fest 2023 organised by the Kerala government, an official statement said on Friday. INS Kabra of the Southern Naval Command was deployed at Beypore as part of the four-day event that began on Tuesday and concluded on Friday. "The ship was open to visitors and witnessed more than 3,500 visitors, including NCC cadets, school children and local populace. They were provided a guided tour of the ship along with an overview of the ship's role and capabilities," the Navy said in the statement. An ALH aircraft performed a search and rescue demonstration off the Beypore beach while exhibition stalls comprising naval equipment and armament like torpedoes, sonobuoys, diving apparatus and models of ships and aircraft carriers were on display at the fest, it said. Motivational videos showcasing Naval capabilities and information on career options in the Indian Navy also featured at the stalls, it added. The sailing team of Indian

Stealth-guided missile destroyer INS Imphal commissioned into Navy

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony Admiral Hari Kumar said that the INS Imphal is the first warship to be named after a prominent city of the north-east