India's 5 warships in Arabian Sea, increases surveillance to curb threats from Iran-backed Houthis

Warships in Arabian sea: The Indian Navy has intensified its surveillance in the Arabian Sea due to mounting concerns about attacks on merchant ships by groups linked to Iran, deploying its newest five advanced frontline missile destroyers, as per reports. 

These deployments include INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Mormugao, INS Chennai, and INS Visakhapatnam, which are actively patrolling various sections of the Arabian Sea.

In for the long haul: Oil tanker to accompany the destroyers 

This increased naval presence follows an Iranian drone's targeting of a chemical tanker, MV Chem Pluto, approximately 210 nautical miles off Gujarat's Dwarka coast. In response, the Indian Navy deployed these warships, accompanied by a large civilian oil tanker named MV Swarnamala, which will refuel these destroyers and increase their endurance.

The primary objective of the Navy is to safeguard commercial shipping from potential missile strikes by Iranian-supported groups such as the Shia Houthis in Yemen and Shia Kaitab Hezbollah in Iraq. These groups have been targeting ships in the region, partly in response to Israel's conflicts with Sunni Hamas in Gaza and other tensions in the Middle East.

To support these efforts, the Indian Navy is utilising Boeing P-8I aircraft and long-endurance Sea Guardian drones to monitor ships in the Arabian Sea and up to the Gulf of Aden. This surveillance aims to identify any suspicious vessels or dhows used by these groups for potential attacks.

Moreover, the Indian Coast Guard is actively patrolling the western coastline's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) using offshore patrol vessels and Dornier surveillance aircraft to ensure heightened security and prevent any illicit activities along the Indian coast and in the Arabian Sea.

The need for the deployment 

This escalated vigilance is crucial to safeguard vital trade routes worth trillions of dollars, which could be threatened by potential attacks on merchant ships by Iranian-linked militias. While the US-led coalition focuses on deterring attacks in the Red Sea, India's efforts are directed toward securing the Arabian Sea from potential missile assaults.

As per prior reports following the 'suspected' drone attack on MV Chem Pluto and the preliminary analysis, three destroyers were deployed INS Kolkata, Kochi, followed by Mormugao to the Arabian Sea. However, now the entire Kolkata class of destroyers and two of the newer Visakhapatnam class are actively deployed as the crisis persists and the threat to merchant vessels remains. All these destroyers are armed with the new Barak-class air defence missile systems and each carries at least 16 of India’s most lethal BrahMos cruise missiles, along with an array of sophisticated suites of other armaments and equipped with the newest sensor suite.