The Indian Navy has increased coastal patrols, acknowledging serious gaps in maritime surveillance.

Anonymous military officials told the Times of India that at least 20 navy and coastguard ships, including submarines, had deployed in the Arabian Sea. In addition, maritime reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters are apparently patrolling the region from bases in Mumbai, Goa, Daman, Porbunder, Jakhau and Okha.

"There are 50,000 trawlers operating on Western coast. So it becomes difficult to check each one. However, better synergy is being planned between navy and coastguard," explained chief of naval staff admiral Sureesh Mehta. The chief also acknowledged significant gaps in coastal surveillance and noted that the "systemic failure brought about by Mumbai terror attacks needs to be taken stock of".

In addition, Mehta admitted that the coastguard was aware of intelligence reports that terrorists had considered using a sea route to attack the financial capital of India.

As IT Examiner previously reported, the Indian navy has taken several significant steps to bolster its blue-water capabilities, including the acquistion of a Russian aicraft carrier and a 16,900-tonne Jalashwa transport ship. The 173-metre-long Landing Pontoon Dock (LPD), currrently the second largest Indian warship in service, is capable of transporting four landing craft, six helicopters and a battalion of 900 soldiers.

In addition, the Indian navy recently deployed the Nagan, a low frequency towed array sonar system developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, in conjunction with Bharat Electronics, Larsen and Toubro, Uniflex Cables and Keltron. According to NPOL director S Ananthanarayanan, the long-range sonar was "more effective in detecting and classifying the vessels being tracked at variable depths, as noise due to turbulence of own-ship propulsion will not corrupt the signals received from the target".

New Delhi has made a salient effort to increase its role in various multinational naval campaigns. For example, the Indian navy participated in evacuating 2,280 civilians during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. It was also the first to send relief supplies to Myanmar in May, which had suffered extensive casualties from a devastating cyclone. Nevertheless, India has steadfastly refused to join a formidable anti-terror naval task force led by the US and Britian because it does not fall under the auspices of the UN.

"Power projection today every nation is doing. India is now in a position to project its power and earn goodwill, though this event is not related to any entry into the Security Council yet, its part of a larger scheme of things," explained Lieutenant general (retired) Raj Kadyan. X

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