The Indian Navy is expecting an increase in piracy attacks in the Arabian Sea and Red Sea regions over the coming period, according to senior officials. Pirate activity in these waters has already been rising, with attacks carried out by Somali pirates as well as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Dealing with these security threats is placing significant pressure on the Indian Navy’s capabilities.
Piracy incidents have involved attacks on commercial vessels using weapons fired from small boats or drones. In one recent incident, an Indian warship had to rush to the aid of a merchant ship after it was hit by a drone in the Gulf of Aden, injuring a crew member. Navy commandos also boarded and searched the vessel as a precaution.
The escalation in piracy is linked to the ongoing conflict in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-led coalition. However, Somali pirates are also taking advantage of the instability to carry out more opportunistic hijackings and ransom attempts. The Indian Navy has deployed over a dozen large warships in the region along with surveillance aircraft and drones. This constitutes India’s largest peacetime naval operation in decades.
However, sustaining these enhanced deployments is stretching limited naval resources. Ships have had to be diverted from other key patrol areas like the Bay of Bengal to monitor the large sea lanes under threat. Following pirate vessels also involves long tracking periods. While the operations have successfully helped release hijacked ships and crews so far, the challenges are expected to continue in the foreseeable future.
The issue was a topic of discussions between the foreign ministers of India and the United States recently. Both sides agreed on coordinating their responses to these shared maritime security concerns. The Indian Navy is also trying to boost its anti-piracy capabilities through new tactics. For example, commandos were recently dropped off at sea from a transport aircraft to enable faster boarding of targeted vessels in remote areas.
Rising fuel and cargo transportation costs due to longer voyages are impacting India’s economy as well. Around 88% of India’s oil needs are met through seaborne imports transported on the same routes. Any disruptions from increased piracy would pose a major problem. While international cooperation and new response strategies are helping reduce risks, the Indian Navy will have to carefully manage its stretched resources to deal with the evolving threats over the long run.
