Guard merchant ships between suez and Indian ports
In the wake of the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed three stealth-guided missile destroyers—INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata—in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence. The drone attacks on two vessels bound for India that were carrying Indian crew members have raised concerns about the safety of maritime trade amid escalating tensions due to Israel’s war in Gaza. Though there were no casualties, the Indian Navy has taken serious note of the drone attacks by the Houthis, who support the Palestinian cause and are ideologically hostile towards the US and Israel.
They have turned the Red Sea into a war zone in recent weeks by launching missiles and drones at commercial ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a narrow passageway south of Yemen leading to the Red Sea and onto the Suez Canal—threatening to disrupt global supply chains unless Gaza receives humanitarian aid. The assault has led to the formation of an international maritime coalition led by the US to deter the militia.
The Suez Canal is one of the most important sea routes with around 12 per cent of the global oil trade and more than USD 1 trillion worth of goods passing through it per year. The Houthi onslaught has prompted major oil and shipping giants to suspend operations through the Red Sea and re-route cargo vessels around the southern tip of Africa, which may require an additional 10 days of voyage westwards costing up to $1 million more per ship, according to reports. The growing attacks, especially on oil tankers, in and around the Red Sea will temporarily affect India’s crude shipments from its traditional trade partners in West Asia. As of November, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were the second and third largest sources of crude for the country.
The Indian Navy, which has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the region against Somali pirates, will need to protect India’s maritime trade. It may have to provide convoy escorts to the merchant vessels exiting the Suez Canal and heading towards Indian ports. Any assault on the convoy or the escorts should be considered an act of war. The government of India needs to decide on guarding merchant ships from the Suez eastwards through the Red Sea, up to Bab el-Mandeb and into the Arabian Sea.