In a move aimed at increasing maritime domain awareness and coastal security of friendly countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), especially in light of Beijing's expanding presence in the area, India has expanded its sea capabilities by establishing a maritime support base in Duqm port in Oman and is preparing to support close ally Mauritius by establishing an air support facility in north Agalega Islands, south of Seychelles.

The facility in Duqm port in Oman has already been operationalized to maintain, repair, and overhaul Indian ships as well as provide berthing, fuel, and rest facilities to Indian Navy ships in the area and travelling beyond. The government is tight-lipped about these two most significant developments, but HT has learned that the facility is already operational.

Simultaneously, in support of key ally Mauritius, India has built an airstrip in north Agalega islands, some 1,050km north of Port Louis, to provide maritime security to the island nation and help protect its tourism assets in the region. While it is understood that Prime Minister Pravind Jugnath will officially open the facility owned by the Mauritius government to the public in December, the Indian Navy is already making preparations to send at least 50 officers and personnel to man the airstrip, which will be able to accommodate Boeing P-8I surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft of the Indian Armed Forces. Jugnath met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 and was a special invitee to the G20 Summit in Delhi.

The decision to establish support facilities in the two nations was made partly due to the PLA Navy's increased excursions into the Indian Ocean region. By 2025–2026, according to national security planners, Chinese Navy Carrier Strike Forces are anticipated to patrol the IOR, as the PLA quickly increases the size of its already formidable surface and subsurface naval forces.

Data from South Block show that there are more Chinese ships entering the Indian Ocean each year, with as many as 24 Chinese ships doing so as of 2023. These include PLA Navy ships, ships for scientific research and surveillance, and ships for tracking satellites and ballistic missiles. In 2019, there were 29 of these ships, and by 2022, there were 43 of them.

According to information from South Block, there have been roughly six PLA Navy assets in IOR each month this year. 48 surveillance and scientific research vessels have been deployed in the Indian Ocean since 2019 with the general deployment area being the Bay of Bengal, the southern Indian Ocean, the northern Agalega Islands, and the Persian Gulf. Task Force 172 and the Anti-Piracy Escort Force (APEF) have also been spotted operating off the eastern coast of Africa with a Chinese naval base in Djibouti. A 45th APEF is currently anticipated to enter IOR this week at any time.

A Chinese surveillance ship Shi Yan 6 will also enter IOR on September 23 to undertake joint military scientific research in Sri Lankan EEZ in October-November 2023. No less than 33 ballistic missile and space tracking ships of Yuan Wang class have been deployed in IOR since 2019 with such ships being monitored off the coast of Australia and the East Coast of Africa.

According to experts and analysts, India not only needs to be aware of PLA activities in its backyard but also needs to provide coastal and maritime security to its important allies in the Persian Gulf and south Indian Ocean because an increasing number of Chinese ships and warships are entering the Indian Ocean through the straits of Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, and Ombi-Wetar in Indonesia.

Image source: Hindustan Times