Indian Navy Deploys Warships to Escort Cargo Through Bab el-Mandeb Amid Gulf Tensions
The Indian Navy has dispatched the frigate INS Trishul and the support ship INS Aditya to escort commercial vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb as regional tensions rise.
Amid escalating friction in the Persian Gulf, the Indian Navy is escorting cargo ships through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait. The Talwar-class guided-missile frigate INS Trishul and the Aditya-class replenishment vessel INS Aditya are accompanying the Indian-flagged MT Compass bound for Mumbai and the Liberian-flagged MT Thalatta heading toward the Suez Canal. Officials stress that the deployment protects essential energy cargo and reinforces India’s maritime security agenda.
Since October 2008, the navy has maintained anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, and Operation Sankalp, initiated in June 2019, has expanded to cover the entire Indian Ocean Region. The mission benefits from coordination with ministries of external affairs, shipping, petroleum and natural gas, as well as the directorate general of shipping. Recent successes include the December 2023 rescue of MV Ruen from Somali pirates by the MARCOs and Indian Air Force. Real-time surveillance is supported by the Gurugram-based Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, which integrates satellite and sensor data across the area.
Why it matters
Securing key shipping lanes helps keep global energy supplies flowing and demonstrates India's growing role in regional security.
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