Navy to patrol Indian Ocean jointly with Indonesia, Maldives

In the backdrop of increased piracy-related incidents and illegal activities in the Indian Ocean region, India will join littoral countries, Indonesia and Maldives, to patrol the waters to protect their maritime boundary this month.

The navies of India and Indonesia would carry out their 14th coordinated patrolling of  Malacca straits region, once a piracy-hit area in the Indian Ocean, from October 18 to
November 5.

The Indian Navy would also deploy a Dornier maritime patrol aircraft in the Maldives as part of the security assistance New Delhi agreed to provide Male to secure its waters from pirates and threat from terror groups.

"To increase the cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, the Indian Navy will conduct coordinated patrols of the international maritime boundary with Indonesia. The purpose of the coordinated patrols is to prevent piracy, armed robberies, poaching, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities," Navy officials said here.

The Dornier aircraft would be based in Maldives from October 18 to 23 and carry out aerial patrolling of the skies in the Indian Ocean around the tiny archipelago.

"This will be the 11th deployment of an Indian Navy asset in the Maldives since January this year when New Delhi agreed to assist Male in providing it security cover following a request from Maldivian Defence minister Ameen Faisal," they said.