Operation Sankalp is the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

's initiative aimed at ensuring the security of the regional maritime domain. The term ''Sankalp'' originates from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

and signifies the concept of "Commitment". It aligns with the Indian Navy's objective of safeguarding India's shipping interests and trade routes. Launched on 19 June 2019, Op Sankalp primarily focused on guaranteeing the safe transit of Indian-flagged vessels passing through the

Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' , ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategica ...

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 Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

, External Affairs,

Shipping Freight transport, also referred to as freight forwarding, is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the

Directorate General of Shipping Directorate may refer to: Contemporary *Directorates of the Scottish Government * Directorate-General, a type of specialised administrative body in the European Union * Directorate-General for External Security, the French external intelligence ag ...

Background

The utilization of a

blue-water navy A blue-water navy is a Navy, maritime force capable of operating globally, essentially across the deep waters of open oceans. While definitions of what actually constitutes such a force vary, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise Co ...

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. 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. The

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

plays a significant role in India's maritime trade with

West Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

. In the fiscal year 2019–2020, India imported about US$66 billion worth of oil from this region, making up 62 percent 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.

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. India enacted its anti-piracy legislation as the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022, on 20 December 2022 criminalizing maritime piracy and empowering the Indian Navy and other government agencies with the authority to respond to threats at sea. In 2024, the then Chief of Naval Staff

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

R. Hari Kumar referred to the new law as a "great enabler" in the navy's anti-piracy success. 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. 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 The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

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.

2021

In November 2021,

INS Trikand INS ''Trikand'' (F51) () is a of the Indian Navy. She is the third and final ship of the second batch of ''Talwar''-class frigates ordered by the Indian Navy. She was built by the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. She was commissioned to ...

was dispatched to the

and

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...

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 Manama ( ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and List of cities in Bahrain, largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 297,502 as of 2012. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is ...

and the during its stay at the port, the personnel engaged with Bahrain's counterparts to enhance maritime security. The INS Trikand, a cutting-edge

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

equipped with

guided missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of Propulsion, self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a targ ...

s and

stealth technology Stealth technology, also termed low observable technology (LO technology), is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive and active electronic countermeasures. The term covers a range of military technology, methods used to make personnel ...

, serves as a vital component of the Western Fleet. It operates under the command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief,

Western Naval Command The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the A ...

, which is headquartered in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

During COVID-19 Pandemic

In regular circumstances, this deployment would have been considered as a standard procedure. Nevertheless, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

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 minimize the impact of

SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the respiratory illness responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had the Novel coronavirus, provisional nam ...

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.

2023

On 14 December 2023, Operation Sankalp was re-initiated to ensure the security of the regional maritime domain due to the

Red Sea crisis {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Red Sea crisis , width = , partof = the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, the Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present), and the Yemeni civil war (2014–present) , image ...

and sudden increase in marine pirate activities. The Indian Navy on 31 December 2023 said it had deployed P-8I Neptune and the SeaGuardian drones, 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

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s 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'', almost its entire modern destroyer fleet of its Western Fleet. INS ''Kolkata'' was deployed at the

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

of the

, INS ''Kochi'' on the south of Yemen's

Socotra Island Socotra, locally known as Saqatri, is a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean. Situated between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, it lies near major shipping routes. Socotra is the largest of the six islands in the Socotra archipelago as ...

, 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.

2024

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. 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. As of March 2024, the Indian Navy has demonstrated its dedication to guaranteeing the maritime safety and security by escorting about 15 lakh tons 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. Furthermore, the Navy has carried out close to 1000 boarding operations on distressed ships. Indian Navy also apprehended

contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") is any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It comprises goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes of the leg ...

& around 3000 kg of

narcotic drugs The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "I make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates a ...

References

{{Reflist 2019 establishments in India Military units and formations established in 2019 Naval units and formations of India