New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) The Indian Navy is keeping a close watch on every activity of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean and is fully prepared to deal with any contingency to safeguard India’s interests, the Navy announced today .
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, made this statement while responding to questions at a press conference here as a preview to the upcoming International Fleet Review 2026 scheduled for February. He also informed that, along with the International Fleet Review, the MILAN exercise and a conference of naval chiefs from several countries will be organized.
He said that in the current scenario, the presence of extra-regional forces in the Indian Ocean remains constant, with about 40 to 50 ships present there at all times.
Responding to a question about Chinese warships, he said the Indian Navy keeps a close watch on every activity of all Chinese vessels entering the Indian Ocean.
The Navy is aware of what they are doing and what they are capable of. The Indian Navy also keeps track of their movements, he said and added that the Navy’s vigilance is not limited to Chinese vessels alone but extends to all kinds of ships from all countries entering the Indian Ocean.
“The Navy keeps a watch on all ships entering areas of our strategic interest,” he said.
Vice Admiral Vatsayan said, “Due to the current situation, the continuous presence of external-regional forces in the Indian Ocean region has been maintained. It has always been this way, and it is continuously increasing. At any given time, there are at least 40 to 50 ships in the Indian Ocean region, and we keep a watch on each of them. We know what they are doing, what they are likely to do, when they arrive, and when they leave.”
He said that as far as challenges are concerned, they exist, and in this context, he cited Madagascar as an example. He stated that the fundamental point is that the Indian Ocean is the main route for the movement of goods and oil for the world. This also gives rise to challenges related to both conventional and non-conventional issues in the region. He added, “We keep a watch on every area, from maritime piracy to human trafficking, drugs, and so on. We remain alert to these challenges and are prepared to deal with any contingency.”
