First Indian submarine docks at Oman days after a similar docking at Indonesia

An Indian Navy submarine has docked at Oman for an operational turnaround for the first time in what may be a signal to India’s expanding reach in the Indian Ocean region where China often flexes its maritime muscles by deploying submarines on long-range patrol.

The Kalvari Class submarine INS Vela’s docking at Port Salalah comes days after another submarine INS Sindhukesari reached Jakarta in Indonesia for the same purpose. The near-simultaneous east-west long-range deployment by two operational submarines not only shows India’s operational readiness but also the capability of the navy’s underwater arm.

“INS Vela entered Port Salalah for an operational turnaround on February 28. The visit is reflective of strong, deep multilayered, and mutually beneficial ties between India and Oman. Indian Navy deploys actively to enhance security in the Indian Ocean Region and engages closely with all maritime neighbours for this purpose. Our ships and submarines undertake OTRs at friendly foreign ports regularly,” said an official.

Read | In a first, Indian submarine INS Sindhukesari docks in Indonesia

Last week, the Russian-origin Kilo class submarine INS Sindhukesari visited Indonesia between February 22 and 24 after transiting through Sunda Strait.

Besides strengthening the maritime partnership between India and Indonesia, the berthing at Jakarta was also a part of India's campaign for a "safer and secure" Indo-Pacific in the face of China's growing belligerence in the South China Sea, said an official.

While Beijing runs the world’s largest navy with nearly 340 surface ships and submarines, the communist country is upgrading its fleet, replacing the old platforms with more capable ones. The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s overall battle force is to grow to 400 ships by 2025 and 440 by 2030.

Despite China’s rise remains a source of concern, India is no pushover in the IOR that stretches from the African coast to the Indonesian archipelago. The region is also one of the world’s most important trade corridors as well as being home to nearly 2.7 billion people.

“The Indian Ocean region accounts for more than two-thirds of the world's oil shipments. One-third of bulk cargo and more than half of container traffic pass through it. The safety of these sea routes is not only directly connected to our economic interests, but it also establishes India as a Net Security Provider in IOR,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said last year.