Operation Sankalp

Operation Sankalp
Part of Red Sea crisis, Spillover of the Gaza war, Piracy off the coast of Somalia

On 16 March 2024, IAF C-17, in cooperation with INS Kolkata, paradropped two combat boats, armament load and MARCOS teams were inserted to rescue 17 crew members of MV Ruen held hostage by 35 pirates.
Date19 June 2019 – present
/>(6 years, 9 months and 5 days)
Location
Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean
Status Ongoing

Operation Sankalp is the Indian Navy's initiative aimed at ensuring the security of the regional maritime domain. The term Sankalp originates from Sanskrit and signifies the concept of "Commitment". It aligns with the Indian Navy's objective of safeguarding India's shipping interests and trade routes.[1]

Launched on 19 June 2019, Operation Sankalp primarily focused on guaranteeing the safe transit of Indian-flagged vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz amidst escalating security concerns in the area. The protection of India's commercial fleet and maritime commerce is emphasised as a significant goal within the Indian Navy's responsibilities. Due to the intricate nature of the mission and the global context in which Indian Naval vessels operate, Op Sankalp is being executed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through active engagement and meticulous coordination with the Indian Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Shipping, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the Directorate General of Shipping.[2][3][4]

Background

The utilisation of a blue-water navy relies on its intrinsic characteristics such as reach, flexibility, and visibility. The actions carried out by a country's naval forces to advance its national interest reflect both the nation's interests and political objectives.[1] Since 2008, piracy has become a growing concern in the Indian Ocean Region, prompting the deployment of warships from various navies - both regional as well as non-regional naval forces. The Indian Navy has stepped up as the leading force in tackling security issues, positioning itself as the ‘First Responder’ and ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the IOR. Through impressive displays of naval strength, aircraft, and Special Forces, the Indian Navy remains steadfast in its mission to protect the seas and ensure the safety of the maritime community in the face of unconventional threats.[5]

The Persian Gulf plays a significant role in India's maritime trade with West Asia. In the fiscal year 2019–2020, India imported about US$66 billion worth of oil from this region, making up 62 per cent of its total oil imports. The trade between India and West Asia during that time stood at US$108.2 billion in imports and roughly US$51 billion in exports. These numbers constitute 8.1% and 11.4% of India's total exports and imports, underscoring the importance of Operation Sankalp led by the Indian Navy.[1]

Deployment

From June 2019 to May 2021, fleet of 20 Indian warships were deployed under Operation Sankalp to safeguard the journey of over 200 Indian Flag Vessels transporting more than 21 million tonnes of cargo in the IOR.[1]

India enacted its anti-piracy legislation as the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022, on 20 December 2022 criminalising maritime piracy and empowering the Indian Navy and other government agencies with the authority to respond to threats at sea.[6] In 2024, the then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar referred to the new law as a "great enabler" in the navy's anti-piracy success.[7]

From December 2023 to March 2024, around 5000 troops have been deployed at sea with over 450 ship days have been completed (using over 21 ships), and maritime surveillance aircraft have flown 900 hours under Operation Sankalp.[5]

In 2024, as per a report, the Indian Navy deployed over 30 ships as Houthi militants targeted multiple cargo vessels in and around the Red Sea with drone and missile attacks. "The Navy responded to over 25 such incidents and safely escorted over 230 merchant vessels carrying around 90 lakh metric tonnes of cargo valued at over USD 4 billion", according to official data.[8][9]

2021

In November 2021, INS Trikand was dispatched to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman under Operation Sankalp, an initiative by the Indian Navy to uphold a prominent vessel in the area, guaranteeing the unhindered and protected transportation of goods, fostering trust within the maritime community, and actively contributing to the overall security of the regional waters. The ship stopped at Manama and during its stay at the port, the personnel engaged with Bahrain's counterparts to enhance maritime security. Trikand, a cutting-edge frigate equipped with guided missiles and stealth technology, serves as a vital component of the Western Fleet. It operates under the command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, which is headquartered in Mumbai.[10]

During COVID-19 Pandemic

In regular circumstances, this deployment would have been considered as a standard procedure. Nevertheless, during the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Indian Navy's capability to deploy its warships demonstrated their exceptional operational readiness and availability. This also highlighted the stringent protocols and mechanisms implemented by the Indian Navy to minimise the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on their personnel, thereby ensuring uninterrupted deployments and operations. Consequently, in addition to their continuous anti-piracy patrols and Op-Sankalp, the Indian Navy effectively executed numerous deployments and operations.[1]

2023–24

See also: Red Sea crisis

On 14 December 2023, Operation Sankalp was re-initiated to ensure the security of the regional maritime domain due to the Red Sea crisis and sudden increase in marine pirate activities.[11] The Indian Navy on 31 December 2023 said it had deployed P-8I Neptune and the SeaGuardian drones,[12] following the distressed faced by two merchant vessels, MV Ruen and MV Chem Pluto which were targeted in the sea. MV Ruen was hijacked (later rescued by INS Kolkata) while MV Chem Pluto sustained drone hits eventually and making way to port. The Indian Navy deployed a large flotilla of destroyers to safeguard international security. The deployment into the Arabian Sea included missile destroyers, including INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Mormugao, INS Chennai and INS Visakhapatnam,[13] almost its entire modern destroyer fleet of its Western Fleet. INS Kolkata was deployed at the mouth of the Red Sea, INS Kochi on the south of Yemen's Socotra Island, INS Mormugao in the west Arabian Sea with INS Chennai in the central Arabian Sea. INS Visakhapatnam was also moved in a week later and was tasked to patrol the north Arabian Sea.[13]

Date Ship attacked Rescued by Cause
Details
15-19 December 2023 MV Ruen INS Kolkata, INS Subhadra Piracy
MV Reun was attacked and hijacked by Somali pirates in their first attempt since 2017. Indian Navy quickly responded to the situation. Following Indian Navy P-8I Neptune MPA locating those ships, Kochi as well as the Spanish ship Victoria and the JS Akenebono immediately sailed behind them and are proceeding to Mogadishu harbour in Somalia, the estimated location of the pirates are taking the Reun. INS Kochi, on its part, was shadowing MV Ruen in a “wait-and-watch” mode since a direct intervention could have led to casualties among the crew being held hostage by the pirates.[14][15]

On 19 December, the hijackers freed a Bulgarian hostage so that he could receive medical assistance after being injured by gunshot. The sailor was treated on board and is now being taken to a shore-based medical facility in Oman for further evaluation. The destroyer kept trailing MV Reun and further action shall be decided by the owners of the shipping company.[16][17]

MV Ruen was intercepted again by INS Kolkata on 16 March 2024 and the pirates were captured.

18 January 2024 MV Genco Picardy INS Visakhapatnam Drone attack
Visakhapatnam responded to a distress call from the Marshall Island-flagged MV Genco Picardy following a drone attack by unknown attackers at 11:11 pm IST on the night of 17 January. The Indian naval ship acknowledged the distress call and intercepted the vessel at 12:30 am IST the next day and provided support. Genco Picardy had 22 crew, including 9 Indian sailors. Following an EOD inspection by the ship's specialists, the ship was cleared to continue its journey without any casualties incurred aboard.[18][19]
26 January 2024 MV Marlin Luanda INS Visakhapatnam, USS Carney, French frigate Alsace Missile strike
Following a distress call from the British owned, Marshall Islands flagged oil tanker MV Marlin Luanda on the night of 26 January 2024, Visakhapatnam responded to aid the ship in its fire fighting efforts by deploying its NBCD team (Nuclear-Biological-Chemical Defence and Damage control) along with firefighting equipment on board. The ship was reportedly attacked by the Houthis at approximately 7:45 pm and it had 22 Indians and one Bangladeshi crew member aboard. USS Carney (DDG 64) (also targeted by a Houthi missile, but shot down), the French frigate Alsace and other Operation Prosperity Guardian coalition ships also responded and rendered assistance. No injuries were reported as the fire had broken out in the cargo compartment. The vessel sailed to a safe harbour under its own power.[20][21]
29 January 2024 FV Iman INS Sumitra Piracy
INS Sumitra successfully rescued fishermen hijacked by pirates along the East coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. The naval warship was responding to a distress message regarding hijacking of an Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman. The pirates boarded the fishing boat and its 17-member crew was taken hostage. Acting in accordance with the Standard Operation Procedures the crew successfully coerced the pirates and released the crew along with the boat. The FV was then sanitised and continued for their destination.[22][23]
29-30 January 2024 FV Al Naeemi INS Sumitra, MARCOS Piracy
INS Sumitra rescued 19 Pakistani sailors after pirates hijacked their fishing vessel off the east coast of Somalia the previous day. Eleven armed pirates climbed onto another Iranian-flagged fishing vessel FV Al Naeemi and took 19 crew members, all Pakistanis, as hostage. The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel and coerced the pirates to release the hostages. The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel and forced the pirates to release the hostages with the help of MARCOS on 29 January. Warning shots were then fired in the water to pressurise the Somali pirates who had taken control of the vessel the Indian Navy deployed its HAL Dhruv as a part of psychological warfare. The pirates dumped their weapons when INS Sumitra approached them. Armed with Tavor TAR-21 and other combat gear, the MARCOS brought the pirates and were disarmed. No injuries were reported in the swift operation in which the Navy captured AK-47s and several mobile and satellite phones from the pirates' possession.[24] The incident took place in southern Arabian Sea approximately 850 nm west of Kochi.[25][26]
22 February 2024 MV Islander INS Kolkata Missile attack
On 22 February 2024, Palau-flagged MV Islander came under Houthi attack of two anti-ship ballistic missiles. INS Kolkata, nearest to the ship rushed to assistance and An explosive disposal and medical team was sent to the vessel for assisteance. The ship could continue its journey forward.[27][28][29]
4 March 2024 MSC Sky II INS Kolkata Drone attack
INS Kolkata, deployed to the Gulf of Aden, responded to a request from MSC Sky II, a Liberian flagged container vessel. The ship had reportedly been attacked by a drone or missile 90 nm southeast of Aden. The ship's master reported smoke and flames onboard following the attack. INS Kolkata was quickly redirected to provide the required support and reached the incident site. The Kolkata then escorted the ship from the area of the incident into the territorial seas of Djibouti. On 5 March, a specialised firefighting team from Kolkata boarded the Sky II and extinguished the remaining fires and an explosive ordnance disposal team boarded the Sky II to evaluate residual risk. The crew were safe and the ship then continued sailing towards its next destination.[30][31][32]
4 January 2024 MV Lila Norfolk INS Chennai, MARCOS Piracy
MV Lila Norfolk sailing from Port Du Aco in Brazil to Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain was hijacked by pirates 460 nautical miles east off Somalia. It had sent a message indicating boarding by around five to six unknown armed personnel. Of the 21 crew members, 15 were Indian and the other 6 hailed from the Philippines.[33] INS Chennai was deployed to render assistance while a maritime patrol aircraft overflew the vessel the next morning and established contact with the vessel.[34][35][36] On 5 January 2024, after providing warnings, the MARCOS commandos from the INS Chennai boarded the ship to rescue all crew members. The pirates had abandoned ship prior to the boarding.[37]
6 March 2024 MV True Confidence INS Kolkata Drone/missile attack
INS Kolkata responded to another crisis in the Gulf of Aden. About 55 nautical miles southwest of Aden, a drone or missile struck the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier MV True Confidence. When INS Kolkata arrived on the site, it used its onboard aircraft and boats and rescued 21 crew members, including an Indian national, via life rafts. The injured crew members received vital medical attention from the ship's medical experts.[38][39]
16 March 2024 ex-MV Ruen INS Kolkata, INS Subhadra (P51), MARCOS Piracy
Indian Navy's Marine Commandos (MARCOS) were deployed via IAF's C-17 aircraft in a rescue operation involving the bulk carrier MV Ruen, which had been seized by Somalian pirates. The cargo vessel was taken near the Yemeni island of Socotra in December 2023 and was located approximately 2,600 km away from the Indian Coast. This successful counter-piracy operation received assistance from the Indian warship INS Subhadra, INS Kolkata, MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and a P8I maritime patrol aircraft. The “high tempo” mission aboard merchant vessel lasting for about 40 hours concluded by safely evacuating 17 crew members and compelling 35 pirates to surrender.[40][41]
26 April 2024 MV Andromeda Star INS Kochi Missile attack
INS Kochi rescued 30 persons from a Panama-flagged and Seychelles-operated oil tanker, MV Andromeda Star, which was attacked by Houthi missiles earlier. An official reconnaissance was conducted by a helicopter after which the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) reached the vessel to "residual risk assessment". Out of 30 crew members, 22 were Indian nationals. Later the ship continued towards her next destination. According to the US Central Command, three anti ship ballistic missiles were launched by Houthis to attack MV Maisha and MV Andromeda Star.[42][43]

2026

See also: 2026 Iran war

Amid the Iran conflict, an Indian Navy destroyer and a frigate was kept deployed in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden under Operation Sankalp. The destroyer, INS Surat (D69), had visited Bahrain. As on 2 March, India was "closely monitoring" the situation and the warships could be immediately diverted for HADR operations, as per a senior defence official. A day earlier the Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet Committee on Security, the country’s highest decision-making body on security and strategic affairs, had convened a meeting to review the West Asia conflict and its implications for India.[44]

As per The New York Times report on 10 May, the Indian government was evaluating options to escort the Indian-flagged vessels that were stuck near the crisis-hit Strait of Hormuz. As of then, there were 36–38 such vessels with 1,100 sailors, all of which were safe with the crew members having sufficient provisions. The ships are complying to "enhanced safety protocols" including reporting to authorities at an increased rate. This was after requests from Indian ship owners to the government to send naval escorts. The NYT quoted Captain P.C. Meena, a senior member of India's apex maritime authority.[45][46][47]

On 12 March, 28 Indian vessels were struck near the Strait of Hormuz including 24 on the west of the choke point.[48] On 13 March, one of the vessel, Jag Prakash, on the east of the strait sailed away safely, carrying oil from Sohar Port, Oman to Port of Tanga, Tanzania. There are three more vessels to the east of the strait with 76 sailors on board while the 24 on the west carried 668 sailors.[48]

In the early morning of 14 March, two Indian LPG carriers, SCI Shivalik and SCI Nanda Devi, owned by the Shipping Corporation of India and chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation[49] safely crossed the Strait under the escort of Indian Navy warships.[50][51] They are carrying 92,700 metric tons of LPG from Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar[49] and will reach their destinations, Mundra Port and Kandla Port, on 16 and 17 March, respectively. There are 22 additional Indian ships with 611 seafarers in the west of Hormuz. All Indian seafarers are safe without any "untoward incident" in the last 24 hours, according to the Special Secretary at the Indian Shipping Ministry.[50] One warship is still present in the region while the Shivalik is being escorted.[51] Meanwhile, the number of Indian Navy warships in the Gulf of Oman had surged to three.[49][52] Indian Navy MH-60's were also seen engaged in maritime patrol.[53]

On 14 March, an Indian crude tanker, Jag Laadki, experienced a "close call" while loading itself with Murban crude oil at Fujairah Single Point Mooring while the Fujairah oil terminal was attacked. The ship later departed the port at 10:30 am IST on 15 March while carrying 80,800 tonnes of crude oil. This was reported by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.[54]

The ships, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, reached India on the anticipated dates with 46,200 metric tonnes and 46,500 metric tonnes[55] of LPG, respectively. Each of the vessel carried approximately 32.4 lakh standard 14.2 kg domestic cylinders, meeting one day of India's LPG net import needs. Around 24,000 tonnes of LPG is expected to be dispatched to Tamil Nadu.[56][57] Of the 22 vessels stuck in the west of the Strait of Hormuz, six are LPG tankers with a combined 3 lakh tonnes of LPG. Other ships include an LNG tanker, four crude tankers, one chemical and products tanker, three container ships and two bulk carriers. Unloading from Shivalik and Nanda Devi are underway as of 18 March.[55]

As of 19 March, the presence of Indian Navy in the region is expected to be expanded from the current three warships to six or seven, including logistics ships. Under warship escort, another oil tanker has crossed the strait after departing the Port of Fujairah, UAE and is bound for the western coast of India.[58][59]

Achievement

Due to the impact made in addressing maritime challenges, preventing the resurgence of piracy, and significantly decreasing drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region, as well as in protecting India's maritime concerns, the Indian Navy's strategic response, creativity, and unwavering determination during the continuous maritime security operations under 'Op Sankalp' have garnered international recognition.[5]

By the end of 2023, a total of 41 warships have been deployed by the Indian Navy to provide escort services for around 624 Lakh Tons of cargo carried by 503 Indian Flagged Merchant Vessels.[60]

As of March 2024, the Indian Navy has demonstrated its dedication to guaranteeing the maritime safety and security by escorting about 15,000,000 Tg of vital commodities under transit in the region and has given over 450 merchant vessels confidence from being present in the IOR. It has a remarkable record of saving over 110 lives which includes 45 Indian seafarers. The Indian Navy has apprehended contraband and approximately 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb) of narcotic drugs.[5]

Around 23 warships has been deployed in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf region until March 2026.[51]

See also

References

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