Will find culprits from depths of seas: Rajnath on drone attacks

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 26

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said the government had taken the recent drone attacks on merchant ships “very seriously” and it “will find out the culprits even from the depth of the seas”.

Missile-destroyer INS Imphal joins navy

• Has ability to fire extended range supersonic BrahMos missile
• 163m length, 17m breadth and displacement of 7,400 tonnes
• With 75% India-made content, it is one of the most indigenous potent warships
• Propelled by four powerful gas turbines and is capable of speed in excess of 30 knots

Acts of Aggression

• On Dec 23, MV Chem Pluto with 21 Indians aboard hit by a drone some 217 nautical miles off Porbandar in Arabian Sea
• Day later, MV Sai Baba with 25 Indian crew members comes under similar attack in the Southern Red Sea

Punjab, Haryana rice exporters in lurch

• After the drone attack on a ship in Red Sea, Punjab and Haryana rice exporters say their consignments have started facing delays
• They have sought government intervention amid concerns over freight rates, cargo firms’ reluctance on Red Sea shipments

Speaking in Mumbai after the commissioning of indigenous stealth-guided missile destroyer warship INS Imphal, Rajnath said India had intensified patrolling of the seas after the attacks on ships. On December 23, a suspected drone attack was carried out on India-bound merchant vessel (MV) Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea. A day later, MV Sai Baba was also hit during passage through the Red Sea. “The perpetrators will soon be brought to justice... strict action will be taken against them,” he said.

India’s growing economic and strategic power had filled some forces with jealousy and hatred, he said, “India will ensure that maritime trade in this region touches greater heights. We will keep the sea lanes secure. We have full confidence in the ability and strength of our Navy,” he said.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar laid out the operational part of the effort saying four warships had been deployed to counter piracy and drone attacks on merchant ships. Also maritime surveillance aircraft Boeing P8I, Dorniers, Sea Guardians, helicopters and Coast Guard ships were deployed to counter such threats, he said.

Sources said the Navy has INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, INS Kolkata and INS Trishul in the Arabian Sea to maintain a deterrent presence. Western Naval Command’s Maritime Operations Centre was monitoring the situation.

Earlier, Rajnath reiterated the government’s resolve to lay equal emphasis on the modernisation of all three services to safeguard national interests, stating that earlier governments focussed only on protecting the country from land-based threats.

He pointed out that with the Himalayas to the north and the hostile behaviour of Pakistan in the west, most of India’s goods trade came through sea, which made it an island country from trade perspective. He stressed the need to continuously develop Navy’s capabilities as global trade was of great importance to India to secure its national interests.

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