Naval Forces Up In-Arms Following Escalation of Tension across LAC

The Indian Navy has passed a clear message to Beijing through its aggressive deployment of almost all front-line warships and submarines in the Indian Ocean Region. It all happened following escalation in the border row in eastern Ladakh, though it all has been registered by China.

Soon after the border tension escalated manifold in the wake of the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15, the Indian Navy deployed a range of its front-line warships and submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to send a clear message to China. Government sources revealed the government would adopt a multi-pronged approach involving the Army, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Naval forces, apart from diplomacy and economic measures to send a clear signal to China that its misadventure in eastern Ladakh was not at all acceptable to India.

The officials added that the three service chiefs are engaged in deliberations on almost a daily basis to ensure a coordinated approach in dealing with the situation as well as to make China understand about India's clear message. All these three services are coordinating on the military response to the border row, sources said. The Indian Navy has significantly expanded its deployment in the IOR deploying a plethora of warships and submarines to create pressure points on China as the maritime space around the Malacca Strait is very critical for its supply chain through sea routes. “Our message has already been registered by the Chinese authorities”, said a source, without explaining.

In a question asked by this correspondent, the authorities said there was no visible increase in forays by Chinese ships in the IOR. They said the reason could be the PLA Navy's excessive deployment of resources in the South China Sea following the strong opposition by the US to Beijing's expansive territorial claims in the region. The US sent a number of its warships to the South China Sea to demonstrate freedom of navigation and rallying support to countries that have territorial disputes with China over the region. The Indian Navy is also ramping up its operational cooperation with various friendly naval forces like the US Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in view of the fast evolving regional security landscape.