Drone attack on ships

WITH the war zones in eastern Europe and West Asia located along strategic waterways, global maritime trade has been hit hard. The drone attacks on India-bound commercial vessels over the weekend — one off the Porbandar coast in the Arabian Sea and the other in the Red Sea — were the 14th and 15th such strikes since October 17 (Hamas had attacked Israel on October 7). Thankfully, the crew is reported to be safe and the Indian Navy and Coast Guard are closely monitoring the situation.

Nearer home, the repercussions of the escalating sea attacks are being felt in Haryana’s Panipat. Known as the ‘Textile City’, 90 per cent of its 450 units export their handloom products, blankets, bed linen, etc, around the world. Their trade has been adversely impacted. While the industry’s annual turnover has plummeted to just around one-third of the usual Rs 50,000 crore, the strike portend major shipping challenges for the exporters as they look to re-route ships through Europe — which would cost them more than double in fuel and time — as the Gulf has become a perilous region.

Enhanced precision technology has enabled unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to jam the communication systems of ships and even blow them up, rendering passage through oceans and seas a risky venture. The International Maritime Organisation must address the security concerns in the Red Sea and Black Sea and protect trade in these crucial shipping corridors. Trade disruptions in the Black Sea since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, have upset global economy and led to inflation, hurting the developing nations the most due to food and fuel shortages. Even as modernisation of fleets is vital to counter the evolving tech-driven challenges, efforts to find diplomatic solutions to end the conflicts must also continue.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Europe #Panipat