The Indian Navy Day – A Brief Background: Indian Navy Day is celebrated every year on December the 4th. This year will be no different as the guardian of Indian seas and the defenders of India’s vast 7516-km long coastline celebrate another year of tremendous achievements and laurels. This tradition has been in place since 1971 and the Operation Trident of the Indian navy. Operation Trident was carried out against the Pakistani port city of Karachi and one Pakistani destroyer, the PNS Khaibar, was destroyed in the attack. A merchant vessel and other Pakistani naval ships were also damaged and sunk. A blockade was issued on the port of Karachi. This was an offensive operation (December 4-5, 1971) carried out by the Indian navy against Pakistan during the third Indo-Pakistani conflict of 1971. This operation is commemorated as Indian Navy Day. India suffered no casualties while the Pakistanis lost scores of its personnel. Navy Day celebrations have kicked off early following the organisation of a public performance of the Indian Navy Band in early November. This celebration took place aboard the INS Netaji Subhas, which is a base depot ship which provides logistics and administrative support to other ships.
The Indian Navy – Defenders of the High Seas
The Indian Navy today boasts over 150 ships in its repertoire. Its inventory comprises aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, landing ship tanks, amphibious vessels, patrol vessels, survey ships, and auxiliary vessels. The naval air wing has over 300 aircraft with the MiG-29 being the major combat aircraft of the force. Other aircraft include maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, and trainer aircraft.
The Indian navy also deploys a few unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. As far as submarines are concerned, India deploys two nuclear-powered submarines and 17 diesel-electric submarines. It employs over 67,000 personnel, not all of whom are officers, to serve the country on the high seas. Ensuring Secure Seas – Indian Maritime Security Strategy is the latest strategy document of the Indian navy that was released at the end of 2015, sends a message about its duties. It also throws light upon the duties of the force in regard to the territorial protection of India from threats that arise from the sea.
The Indian navy, in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is determined to defend the coast resolutely along with the Indian Marine Police and the Coast Guard. The Indian navy is routinely involved in operations for humanitarian purposes, too. The most renowned recent humanitarian operation carried out by the Indian navy is Mission Sagar. Mission Sagar was carried out as a humanitarian assistance operation between mid-2020 to early-2021. This was a conducted to provide succour to the people most impacted by the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The need for humanitarian operations arose more pertinently following the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. As far as operations in immediate waters are concerned, the Indian navy is supplemented by the Indian Coast Guard and the Marine Police. The Indian navy has emerged as a diplomatic instrument of choice as far as Indian foreign policy in the neighbourhood is concerned. Prime Minister Modi’s vision is that of Security and Growth for All in the Region, or SAGAR. Sagar is the Hindi word for oceans and denotes the importance of the maritime domain to India, which is a maritime country no less. The SAGAR vision has already been applied to tiny island countries which are in need of a maritime partnership with influential countries such as India.
The Indian navy is hence, the frontline defender of Indian waters. This Navy Day is to be celebrated with much pomp and splendour and is a tribute to the many accomplishments of the Indian navy. With enhanced responsibility, the force is now in charge of practically all of India’s waters. From the Indian Ocean region to the greater Indo-Pacific, the Indian navy’s presence ensures that India is safe from seaborne threats and hazards. Non-traditional security threats such as sea piracy and expected disasters pose many a hurdle to the safety of the Indian peninsula. Further, the worsening scenario of the oceans is a serious concern. Issues such as climate change, sea level rise, and ocean acidification, to name a few, directly impact the navy’s area of operations i. e. the maritime domain. As a responsible power, India needs the strength, support, and competence of its navy to provide relief to the maritime domain and help nurture India’s fledgling blue economy.
As a peninsular nation which juts out into the Indian Ocean, India has no option but to claim (or reclaim) the seas courtesy of its splendid naval force. Continuous atmanirbhar (self-reliance) additions such as the new indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, speaks volumes about the rising prowess of India’s internal structure as far as its key naval strengths are concerned. India’s presence in foreign waters also must be ably reflected by the navy.
The defence of foreign-housed strategic assets such as island bases (Agalega, Assumption Island, Reunion, etc.) is to be as much protected by the navy as much as there is strategic information to be gained from them. India has a solid presence in the western IOR that is relatively strong and it needs to be utilized for critical geostrategic purposes. Moreover, the Indian navy also has interests in contentious sub-regions such as the South China Sea, and increasingly, the western and south Pacific regions. The Indian navy has stationed itself in taxing territories such as the continent of Antarctica and the Arctic region.
Conclusion – The Indian Navy as an Inspired Force for India’s Defence
Only a force as capable as the Indian navy can defend the troubled waters in India’s neighbourhood. It has been up to the task and up to the mark as far as the defence of India’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are concerned. The defence of coastal waters is now imperative for the navy. With a naval force that is the most powerful in the Indian Ocean section of the Indo-Pacific region, India is considerably safe and secure from a presumably competitive Chinese threat. India’s own waters have been mired in visits from Chinese information-gathering vessels.
The Indian navy’s presence is important and crucial in combating the Chinese threat. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the Indian Ocean is thought to be weak, despite the adoption of the far seas defence doctrine. However, this will change soon, with China able to send carrier battle groups to the region after the induction of multiple aircraft carriers. For the Indian navy, its duties will never lessen, and it is certain that a force of this ilk will match its adversaries with conviction and determination.
While the intent behind the Indian Navy Day celebration is to mark the success of Operation Trident of 1971, it is now certain that in form and spirit, Navy Day means much, much more, and celebrates all the aspects of the force. The Indian navy was, is, and always will be, a force to reckon with. It is because of this formidable force that India will be a powerful maritime nation for decades to come, and will embrace the blue economy successfully.
-The writer is a researcher writing two books for National Maritime Foundation (NMF) on Japan and South Korea’s geopolitical, geo-economic and geostrategic interests in the Indian Ocean. He is a prolific writer and published author; a research fellow at the Defence Research and Studies (DRaS) think tank; a member of the Indo-Pacific Circle and the chief editor of an upcoming monthly magazine at the Indic Researchers Forum. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
