Navy to deploy western command ships in Persian Gulf

 Notwithstanding the turmoil in West Asia and the crisis in Syria, four battleships from the western fleet of the Indian Navy are all set to leave for a month-long deployment in the western part of the Indian Ocean, going up to the coast of Africa and the Persian Gulf.

Unlike last year's western fleet deployment, this year the four warships, including a Delhi-class destroyer and a stealth frigate, will not go into the Red Sea and cross the Suez Canal to enter the western Mediterranean, because of the Syrian crisis.
The other ships in the contingent will be a tanker and a missile corvette. Headed by a rear admiral, the battleships from the western fleet—the sword arm of Indian Navy—will leave Indian shores by the middle of September as all preparations have been completed, said sources.

The monsoon current, too, will subside by then, making the sea relatively calm.
India has no plans to send any naval ship to Syria as of now, even though a warship is on duty nearby.

 The Stealth frigate INS Teg is on anti-piracy patrolling duty in the Gulf of Aden, from where it can rush to Syria

within 48 hours if the government instructs the Navy to do so. However, there is no indication from the government as of now. The western deployment comes within three months of successful deployment of the eastern fleet, which went up to the South China Sea, touching ports at Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Philippines.
The two overseas deployment within months are meant to demonstrate Indian Navy's blue-water capability at a time when China is paying more attention to expand its maritime footprint.

The Indian Navy also plays a key role in creating a regional maritime platform and organising the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium with participation from navies which have a presence in the Indian Ocean.