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| INS Teg |
By Nitin Gokhale
A new stealth frigate and naval base are the latest signs of India’s maritime ambitions. But can India’s Navy become more self-reliant?
Two unrelated but important developments late last month highlighted the strides the Indian Navy is taking against a backdrop of a significant expansion aimed at meeting emerging maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean region.
On April 27, a stealth frigate, the INS Teg, was commissioned in Russia. Three days later, India’s latest naval base, INSDweeprakshak (Island Protector) was put into operation at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep, a tiny island chain southwest of India’s southernmost tip. Although, India had had a small presence on the strategically important island chain for the past decade, the Navy’s decision to open a permanent base was prompted by nearby recent incidents of piracy. Indeed, the Navy has in recent years captured scores of pirates and foiled several attacks.
“The Indian Navy has been operating a detachment at Kavaratti since the early1980s,” the Navy said in a statement. “With the commissioning of INS Dweeprakshak, the island territories would see calibrated strengthening of assets in step with their growing relevance to the security calculus of the nation. A firmer footing in the islands, which are spread out astride some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, would provide the necessary wherewithal to the Indian Navy to discharge its responsibilities suitably.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat