Anti Piracy Operation Gulf of Aden. Piracy off the coast of
Somalia has grown steadily over the years and has now assumed
alarming proportions. A large percentage of India’s trade, including oil and fertilisers, passes through the Gulf of Aden. The Ministry of
Shipping has estimated that, Indian imports through the Gulf of
Aden route were valued in the order of USD 50 Billion and
exports at USD 60 Billion. The safety and unhindered continuity
of maritime trade, through ships that use this route, is a
primary national concern as it directly impacts our economy.
About 24 Indian-flagged merchant ships transit the Gulf of Aden
every month. Although this accounts for only 13% of our trade (
the remainder is carried in foreign ‘bottoms’), the crew of most
foreign flagged vessels comprise Indian nationals, as India’s
large seafaring community (approximately 100,000 in number)
accounts for 6% of the world’s seafarers.
Consequently, to protect Indian ships and Indian citizens employed in
sea-faring duties, Indian Navy commenced anti-piracy patrols in
the Gulf of Aden from 23 Oct 08. In addition to
escorting Indian flagged ships, ships of other countries have
also been escorted. Merchant ships are currently being escorted
along the entire length of the (490 nm long and 20 nm wide)
Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) that has
been promulgated for use by all merchant vessels. A total of
1181 ships (144 Indian flagged and 1037 foreign flagged from
different countries) have been escorted by IN ships in the Gulf
of Aden since Oct 08. During its deployments for anti-piracy
operations, the Indian Naval ships have prevented 15 piracy
attempts on merchant vessels.
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