The Indian Navy’s robust presence in volatile sea lanes is paying dividends, with a steady stream of Indian-flagged merchant ships now safely navigating away from the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the third such successful escort amid regional conflicts.
Jag Ladki joins Shivalik and Nanda Devi in reaching Indian waters securely, thanks to vigilant Navy warships providing armed escort from danger zones. Government sources confirm a warship shadowed the vessel through the night until safe passage was assured.
Mission-Based Deployment, launched in 2017, positions warships in six key areas. Primary focus remains on West Asian chokepoints: Operation Sankalp in the Gulf of Oman and anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, where three ships maintain constant surveillance.
These routes are lifelines—carrying 80% of India’s oil through Hormuz and 90% of container trade via Aden. Piracy threats from Somali and Djibouti waters make this corridor high-risk. Disruptions demand the longer, costlier Cape route.
Complementing these are deployments off Seychelles for Indian Ocean security, Maldives for regional stability, Andaman-Nicobar for eastern approaches, and Bay of Bengal near Myanmar-Bangladesh. Warships engage allies in drills and stand ready for humanitarian missions.
India’s forward naval posture underscores its commitment to protecting economic arteries against geopolitical turbulence.