EU mulling to lift arms embargo against China by 2011

LONDON (PTI): European Union may lift its arms embargo clamped on China in 1989 in the 


wake of Tiananmen Square crackdown, by early 2011, providing a big boost to the Chinese military which is currently embarked on producing 5th generation fighters and long-range cruise missiles.


The lifting of the embargo on transfer of all lethal weapon technology “could happen very soon,” French daily Le Figaro reported quoting sources close to the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
The paper said the issue was raised at the last EU Summit on December 17 and in a confidential presentation major EU powers felt that the embargo may have outlived its purpose.



The report described the embargo as a “major obstacle” to the Euro-Chinese ties and advocated a “move forward”, indicating that the lifting of sanctions could be round the corner.

The EU noted that China had grown 15 times richer than in 1989 and was copying and improving the newest Russian fighter bombers and would soon be in a position to challenge US aircraft carriers in the Pacific by deploying indigenous long-range attack missiles.

France and Spain have long campaigned for an end to the embargo. But, Le Figaro said now Netherlands, UK and to an extent Germany had lowered their opposition. The sanctions prohibit sale and transfer of weapons technology to China.

Other members mooted the idea of making conditional the lifting of sanctions to link it with Beijing improving its ties with Taiwan, amnesty for those arrested in Tiananmen Square crackdown and the calender for the ratification of the convention on civil and political rights.

“The embargo on lethal weapons, imposed by EU shortly after the US, has lost over the years its practical justification,” Le Figaro said quoting top level EU sources. Related tags .....

STUART SAILS TO MIDDLE EAST FOR FOURTH MISSION

HMAS Stuart

Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Stuart sailed for the Middle East Area of Operations today, where she will relieve HMAS Melbourne on Operation Slipper. This is the fourth time that Stuart has been deployed to the Gulf and the Navy’s twenty-fifth rotation since September 2001.

Embarked with a Ship’s Company of approximately 190 men and women, Stuart was farewelled by the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Mr Warren Snowdon MP, the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane AO, CSM, RAN and the Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore, AM, CSC, RAN and family and friends.

“The work that the men and women embarked on Stuart is vital in strengthening maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and the environment around the Horn of Africa. I have no doubt that Stuart’s Ship’s Company will rise to the challenge and continue the good work of her forbears,” Mr Snowdon said.

“The thoughts and best wishes of the Nation are with Stuart as she sails to undertake this important task.”

While deployed, Stuart will conduct maritime interdiction and counter-piracy operations, which will see her provide a deterrent presence and escort for merchant ships in the maritime corridor of the Gulf of Aden. She will also track and report on piracy activities.

“My Ship’s Company are looking forward to this deployment following a demanding, yet very rewarding intensive training period. It is a great honour to be undertaking this important role on behalf of the Australian people,” said Commanding Officer Stuart, Commander Brett Sonter.

“The prolonged period of absence will be made easier knowing that we have the support of our families and friends. This support to date, combined with the training we have been given, ensures that we are extremely well placed to succeed in our mission.”

Stuart participated in a pre-deployment Mission Readiness assessment in November which followed months of concentrated work-up training aimed at preparing the ship for operational deployment.

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Trials of middle diesel engine have been started at Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhia.

Ukrainian sub Zaporizhzhia kicked off powerplant trials

According to Ukrainian defense ministry, a damage control drill was held prior to the trial; divers inspected underwater part of the sub and then trials of main electric motor started. Right diesel was tested on slow, middle, and full speed modes. 

As was reported by e-crimea, it was planned to commission submarine Zaporizhzhia in May 2011. The sub's mooring trials were conducted in December, sea trials are scheduled in May; after that the sub is expected to be commissioned. 

Since Feb 2003 Zaporizhzhia has been under repairs at 13th Ship Repair Plant in Sevastopol. Previously, Ukrainian defense ministry planned to sell the submarine right after her commission. 

Currently, Zaporizhzhia is the only Ukraine's submarine; in May 2009 the sub started post-repair trials. 

Project 641 diesel electric submarine was built in 1970 and joined Soviet Navy in 1971. In accordance with an agreement separating Soviet Black Sea Fleet, in 1997 the sub joined Ukrainian Navy and was renamed into Zaporizhzhia.

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China steps up anti-carrier missile tests: US commander

China is stepping up efforts to deploy a "carrier-killer" missile system, the commander of the US Pacific Command has said in an interview with a Japanese newspaper, published Tuesday.

"The anti-ship ballistic missile system in China has undergone extensive testing," Admiral Robert Willard told the Asahi Shimbun in Honolulu, according to a transcript of the interview on its website.

Willard said China appeared to have achieved "initial operational capability" but it would take "several more years" before fully deploying the system.

US military analysts have warned China is developing a new version of its Dongfeng 21 missile that could pierce the defences of even the most sturdy US naval vessels and has a range far beyond Chinese waters.

Washington has expressed rising concern over China's military intentions following a string of double-digit increases in Chinese military spending and the rapid modernisation of its armed forces.

In the interview, Willard also said China aims to become a global military power by extending its influence beyond its regional waters.

"They are focused presently on what they term their near seas -- the Bohai, Yellow Sea, South China Sea, East China Sea," Willard said.

"I think they have an interest in being able to influence beyond that point, and they have aspirations to eventually become a global military," he said. "In the capabilities that we're seeing develop, that is fairly obvious."

Referring to tensions on the Korean peninsula, Willard warned that North Korea is ready to take another provocative step and called on China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, to play its role in defusing the situation.

"I think, for now, we're past this particular crisis, but we have no doubt, given North Korea's history, that a next provocation is readied," Willard told the daily.

"It's a matter of assessing how it might be deterred or how the North Koreans might be dissuaded from exercising the next provocation," he said.

"We think the US-Republic of Korea (South Korea) alliance is part of that deterrence effort," he said. "We think the international community and China in particular are another part of it."

Tensions have been high following the North's shelling of a South Korean border island, which killed four people, including two civilians. The South's forces are on alert for any fresh attacks.

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Baltic states fault France’s warship deal with Russia

 
Vilnius: Lithuania and Latvia on Monday took NATO ally France to task over a warship deal with Russia, with Vilnius warning that Paris was setting a risky precedent. "I think this is a mistake," Lithuania's Defence Minister Rasa Jukneviciene told reporters. "This is a precedent, when a NATO and EU member sells offensive weaponry to a country whose democracy is not at a level that would make us feel calm." Lithuania and fellow Baltic states Latvia and Estonia -- who were ruled by Moscow until 1991 -- have repeatedly criticised France's plans since Paris began negotiating a warship sale with Russia in 2009.

Last Friday, France said it had struck a deal under which Moscow would buy two Mistral-class command and amphibious assault warships from a French-led consortium, with the possibility of two more. "Of course, for countries around Russia, this is not pleasant news. It's definitely not the Christmas gift we would have liked to receive," Jukneviciene said. Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said he was upset that France had ignored the concerns of its regional NATO allies, but underlined that he did not believe the sale would cause major security problems in the Baltic Sea. "Looking at the situation from a realistic viewpoint, one has to admit that French economic interests -- in this case, selling the ships -- would have no dramatic effects either on the balance of forces in the region or NATO strategy in the Baltic states," he was quoted as saying by the Baltic News Service.

The deal, which involves joint construction of the Mistral-class ships, is the first sale to Russia of such naval high-tech by a NATO nation. A Mistral-class vessel can carry up to 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 13 battle tanks, around 100 other vehicles and a 450-strong force. It has facilities for a full command staff and is equipped with a 69-bed hospital. The Russian army has said such a ship would have helped it win its August 2008 war with ex-Soviet Georgia within hours rather than days. Russian military moves raise concerns in the Baltic states. The Kremlin only withdrew its troops from their territory in 1994, three years after they won independence when the communist bloc collapsed. The three states, with a combined population of 6.8 million, still have rocky relations with giant Russia, notably since joining NATO and the EU in 2004.

The Mistral: France's amphibious assault ship

The Mistral-class warship, of which two versions will jointly be built by France and Russia, is an amphibious assault ship or helicopter carrier, used by the French Navy. Referred to as "projection and command ships" or "BPC", a Mistral class ship is capable of transporting 16 helicopters, deploying up to six of them on the deck at any one time. It also can carry four landing barges, 13 battle tanks, around 100 other vehicles and a 450-strong force, and is able to unload troops into the theatre of operations. The ship has facilities for a full command staff and is equipped with a 69-bed hospital.

The Mistral came officially into active service on December 15, 2006. But already in mid-2006 it had demonstrated its operational capacity by evacuating to Cyprus some 4,700 civilians from Beirut who were trapped in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. It is capable of serving as part of a NATO Response Force or with United Nations or European Union peacekeepers. A powerful warship costing around 500 million euros (650 million dollars), the Mistral-class are the biggest French warships, after the aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle. The French Navy has two of them in service, the Mistral and the Tonnerre. Each is 199 metres (653-feet) long and 32 metres (105-feet) wide and displaces 21,600 tonnes fully loaded.

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China Working to Counter US Naval Power in the Pacific

China Working to Counter US Naval Power in the Pacific

A Chinese made surface-to-air missile is displayed near a Ferris wheel in Shanghai, China

China's growing military capabilities are raising concerns in the United States and among its neighbors.

The U.S. Department of Defense says China is developing a ballistic missile that can hit aircraft carriers more than 1,500 kilometers away.

That program is in addition to the country's already extensive missile defense system, which includes more than one thousand missiles pointed at Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
In addition, the Pentagon says China is working to build its first aircraft carrier, which would put it in a small group of nations able to project power well into international waters.



Need for a deterrent
While Chinese government officials say little about defense plans, some Asia security experts think there are two major reasons for its missile and carrier programs.
One is Taiwan - which has been separately governed since Nationalist forces fled there in 1949, after losing the country's civil war. China has threatened to use force to regain control if Taiwan declares independence. The United States has said it will help the island defend itself from an attack.


Wu Xinbo is an international relations professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.
Wu says if there were a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait, China needs a deterrent to prevent a U.S. aircraft carrier from entering the area to, in his words, "interfere with the Chinese handling of the situation."
Wu says China wants to build an aircraft carrier largely to defend international shipping lanes, which Beijing considers crucial to its export-driven economy.


Denny Roy is a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii. He says he is not surprised that the Chinese would develop a long-range ballistic missile to protect what it considers its interests.
"The Chinese have long had particular expertise in missile development, so it is natural that they would rely on this as a way of countering U.S. strength. It is much easier for the Chinese to build an anti-aircraft carrier missile than building an aircraft carrier battle group." Roy said.

China ramping up investment in nuclear weapons

China was ramping up investment in nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, submarines, aircraft carriers and cyber warfare, and building up a force that could strike as far as the US territory of Guam.The U.S. and other countries have questioned Beijing's need for either a carrier or new missiles because, they say, there currently are no real threats to China's interests. But Wu says there is also one basic reason for doing so now - money.

Wu says it was not possible for China to build an aircraft carrier before, but now China's economic boom has given the country the means to work on one.

James Nolt is a senior fellow who specializes in U.S.-East Asia relations at the World Policy Institute in New York. Since 2007, he has lived in Nanjing, China, as the head of the New York Institute of Technology's Nanjing campus.
Nolt says even if China builds its own aircraft carrier, it will be decades behind the United States in operational know-how and in numbers.
"The ability to develop an effective carrier, it involves a lot of technology and a lot of training, and operational capabilities, that it might take China many years to develop," Nolt says, "if they chose to do so. Even if they had an aircraft carrier, one aircraft carrier would not be significant."

Nolt points out that even with its missile programs and plans for a carrier, China's military capabilities lag behind those of the United States. "They talk about China without comparing it to the U.S. in any systematic way, which if they did, it would be very easy to see that China's power is vastly smaller in many areas and its capabilities are vastly limited compared to the U.S.," he said.

But China's neighbors, including Southeast Asian nations that dispute Beijing's claims to scores of small, uninhabited islands in the South China Sea, have quietly expressed concern about its military buildup.

Pentagon report rejected
U.S. officials say they do not know the extent of China's military power. They repeatedly have called for greater Chinese transparency on its military capabilities and intentions.
The East-West Center's Roy says China may want to preserve some secrecy because it sees itself as the weaker power.
"China, seeing itself as being much inferior to the U.S. military at the moment, believes that it's quite unreasonable for the United States to ask for a large degree of transparency in Chinese military development, because from the Chinese point of view, they need to hide their weaknesses from the United States," Roy said.
Beijing rejected the latest Pentagon report and says it exaggerates what it calls "China's normal national defense and military build-up." The Defense Ministry has given no specific information about its progress in building a missile that can strike aircraft carriers.

Shortly after the Pentagon report was released, though, a leading Chinese newspaper, The Global Times, published an editorial calling on China to have an anti-ship ballistic missile and other so-called "carrier-killing measures." The editorial said China must build what it described as "a credible deterrence" to counter U.S. naval power in the Pacific Ocean. 

At the same time, Beijing has grown increasingly vocal in recent months in demanding that U.S. ships stay away from wide areas of ocean - covering much of the Yellow, East and South China seas - where it claims sovereignty.. 
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France Arms export orders worth 8.16 Billion euros

Paris - France booked 2009 arms export orders worth 8.16 billion euros ($11.31 billion), a 22 percent rise over the previous year, showing a climb out of the lows hit in the middle of the last decade, Defense Ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire said.

In 2008, France reported orders worth 6.58 billion euros; in 2007, 5.5 billion euros.

A second year of improvement in export performance reversed the "very negative slope" hit in the middle of the last decade when foreign sales hit a low of just over 3 billion euros, he said.With the latest figures, France held its rank as the fourth-largest arms exporter with a 7.2 percent share of the world market, and better reflected the country's industrial capacity, Teisseire told a press conference in a joint presentation with the Foreign Ministry of the government's annual report to parliament on weapon exports.

Brazil emerged as France's biggest export customer last year, thanks to its purchase of four Scorpene-type diesel-electric submarines and a partnership deal estimated at 6.7 billion euros, according to industry sources.

The Brazilian sale pushed South America's share of French arms exports to 24.9 percent, just under the Middle East's 25.7 percent share.

Other leading export clients were Saudi Arabia, which bought the second tranche of the A330 multirole tanker and transport aircraft, and the United Arab Emirates, Teisseire said. The Saudi order for the tanker jet had already appeared in the 2008 report.

The government's objective is to have an equal balance of orders from national programs and export contracts, giving visibility to industry.

France has written into the 2009-14 military budget law assumptions of export sales, but the absence of foreign contracts for the Rafale fighter has meant the government has to inject 800 million euros over the next three years to maintain a minimum production rate of 11 aircraft a year at Dassault.

On the basis of deliveries in 2004-08, the United States was the world's biggest exporter with a 52.4 percent share, followed by Britain with 13.4 percent, Russia 8.4 percent, France, and Israel at 5.3 percent. The global market was worth 63.7 billion euros, the report said, based on official figures and foreign parliamentary records. South Korea was among new export actors.

In his remarks, Teisseire paid tribute to the scholarly analysis of arms export shown by the late defense specialist, Jean-Paul Hébert, whose detailed examination of figures showed a long-term appreciation of the subject.

In the September 2009 edition of Débat Stratégique, a strategic studies journal, Hébert wrote that French arms sales and deliveries had fallen by 45 percent, in 2008 prices, over the last 30 years.

In 1981-90, annual orders averaged 9.19 billion euros; in 1991-2000, 6.69 billion; and in 2001-08, 5.19 billion. Deliveries shrank as well, averaging 9.25 billion euros in 1981-90, 4.9 billion in 1991-2000 and 4.67 billion in 2001-'08, Hebert's article said.

The Middle East's share of exports fell by 70 percent over the 30 years, while sales to the rest of the world remained stable, Hébert said.

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Navy Days spectacle attracts 25,000 visitors

WITH everything from pirates to skydiving soldiers and a teddy bear driving a jeep, the Navy’s flagship public event of the year attracted more than 25,000 visitors.

Navy Days – this year spread over three days in Portsmouth Naval Base – saw people traveling from the West Midlands, Surrey and Bedfordshire to see the Royal Navy and Royal Marines of the past, present and future.

The £1bn warships HMS Dauntless and Daring proved the biggest draws, but despite the substantial size of Britain’s two newest destroyers, they were dwarfed by aviation training and casualty treatment ship RFA Argus.

The latter, fresh from refit, opened up her hospital to give the public a rare glimpse of the military’s state-of-the-art floating medical facilities.
Also on show were frigates Westminster, Cumberland, and Richmond, fishery protection ship HMS Tyne. minehunter HMS Cattistock and landing craft Aachen.

The Royal Marines’ Fleet Protection Group demonstrated how they could take down pirates by rapid roping from a Lynx, a vintage Hawker Sea Hawk jet demonstrated its graceful lines over Portsmouth Harbour, the Black Cats Lynx display demonstrated they could pirouette and dance through the sky, and the Royal Artillery Black Knights parachute display team demonstrated that they could leap into the water… but not walk on it.

The whole event was brought to a close on Sunday evening by the Band of HM Royal MarinesBeating the Retreat through the dockyard to Victory Gate.

“We were lucky with the weather but we were also pleased that the scale and variety of the whole event proved so popular,” said Robert Bruce, managing director of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which jointly staged the event with the Naval Base.

“We have had many more visitors than is normal, even on a busy summer’s weekend and we are delighted with the result.”

Naval Base Commander Cdre Rob Thompson added: “Navy Days was a huge success. The mainly dry and warm weather played a part but a big draw was seeing the Royal Navy’s ships and personnel at close hand.

“The event proved an exciting opportunity to show the general public the wide role of the Royal Navy and what its men and women are up to across the globe – from taking to the fight to the Taleban in Afghanistan to countering pirates in the Gulf of Aden.”

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Indian Naval History

Active                             August 14, 1947 - Present

Country                             India

Commanders

The Indian Navy operates four Commands. Each Command is headed by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of Vice Admiral.

Western Naval Command     :   Vice Admiral Vinod Bhasin

Eastern Naval Command       :   Vice Admiral Anup Singh

Southern Naval Command    :   Vice Admiral K N Sushil

Far Eastern Naval Command   :          Vice Admiral D K Joshi

Ranks

Size

56,000        Personnel
~150          Ships
250            Aircraft
1               Aircraft Carrier
1               Amphibious assault ship
19             Dock landing ships
8               Destroyers
13             Frigates
15             Submarines
24             Corvettes
28             Patrol ships
8                Minsweepers
10              Replenishment Tankers
2               Water Carriers
1                Hospital Ship
8                Survey ships
1                Research Vessel
2               Training Vessels
2                Sail Training Vessels
1                Yacht
2               Torpedo Recovery Vessels
1                Diving Support Ship
3                Diving Tenders
18             Harbour tugs
2                Ocean Tugs

Engagements

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Bangladesh Liberation War

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Indo-Pakistani War of 1999

Tsunami Relief Operations

History

India has a maritime history dating back to 7,600 years. The first tidal dock is believed to have been built at Lothal around 2300 BCE during the Indus Valley Civilization, near the present day Mangrol harbour on the Gujarat coast.

The earliest known reference to an organisation devoted to ships in ancient India is to the Mauryan Empire from the 4th century BCE. 

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Maratha and Kerala fleets were expanded, and became the most powerful Naval Forces in the subcontinent, defeating European Navies at various times (See the Battle of Colachel). The fleet review of the Maratha navy took place at the Ratnagiri fort in which the ships Gurabs, Galbat, Pal & small ships called as " Sangmeshwari" participated. The 'Pal' was a three masted fighter with guns peeping on the broadsides. Kanhoji Angre and Kunjali Marakkar, the Naval chief of Saamoothiri, were two notable naval chiefs of the period.

Sea lanes between India and neighbouring lands were the usual form of trade for many centuries, and are responsible for the widespread influence of Indian Culture on other societies. Powerful navies included those of the Maurya, Satavahana, Chola,Vijayanagara, Kalinga, Maratha and Mughal empires. The Cholas excelled in foreign trade and maritime activity, extending their influence overseas to China and Southeast Asia.

Colonial Era

The British Indian Navy was established by the British while India was a colony in 1830 as Her Majesty's Indian Navy (earlier by the East India Company in 1612 as Honourable East India Company's Marine) .

The first Indian to be granted a commission was Sub Lieutenant D.N Mukherji who joined the Royal Indian Marine as an engineer officer in 1928. Indian sailors started a rebellion also known as The Royal Indian Navy mutiny, in 1946 on board ships and shore establishments which spread all over India. A total of 78 ships, 20 shore establishments and 20,000 sailors were involved in the rebellion. When India became a republic on 26 January 1950, it became known as the Indian Navy, and its vessels as Indian Naval Ships (INS). On 22 April 1958 Vice Admiral R. D. Katari assumed office as the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff.

Indo-Pakistan Wars

The Navy has been involved in two wars between India and Pakistan. Its activity in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 largely involved patrolling of the coast. 

The Pakistani Navy attacked the Indian coastal city of Dwarka and returned to their home port, although they did not achieve any strategic objective. However, the Navy did play a significant role in Operation Trident: the bombing of Karachi harbour in the 1971 war, on 4 December 1971. The attack was a success, and 4 December has been celebrated as Navy Day ever since. The attack was followed by Operation Python before the center of conflict shifted to the eastern India-Pakistan border and the Bay of Bengal. To show solidarity with its ally Pakistan, the United States sent Task Force 74 led by the USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal. A task force led by INS Vikrant was stationed to counter the Enterprise task force; Soviet Navy submarines also trailed the U.S. task force. A confrontation was averted when the U.S. task force moved towards South East Asia, away from the Indian Ocean.

1999-2001 Operations

During the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan, the Western and Eastern fleets were deployed in the Northern Arabian Sea, as a part of Operation Talwar. The intent was to safeguard India's maritime assets from a potential Pakistani naval attack, as also to deter Pakistan from escalating to a full-scale war by blocking India's sea-trade routes.Indian Navy's aviators and commandos also fought along side Indian Army personnel during the Kargil War.

The Indian Navy was a part of the joint forces exercises, Operation Parakram, during the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff. More than a dozen warships were deployed.

Later in 2001, the Indian Navy provided escort to United States warships traveling through the Strait of Malacca to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Disaster relief

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake crisis, the Indian Navy deployed 27 ships, 19 helicopters, 6 naval aircraft and over 5000 Naval personnel in disaster relief operations. These deployments were a part of various area-specific relief operations including Operation Madath in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Operation Sea Waves in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Operation Castor in Maldives, Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka and Operation Gambhir in Indonesia.This was one of the largest relief mobilisations that the Indian Navy had undertaken. Indian Naval groups were able to start large scale rescue operations in neighbouring countries within 12 hours from the time of the tsunami, and was the first foreign navy to reach the affected areas.

The quick deployment of forces during relief operations was a testing ground for the Navy's amphibious, as well as force projection capabilities.Deficiencies in the response led to modernisation of the naval forces after the tsunami, including the acquisition of Landing Platform Docks (LPD) like the INS Jalashwa (formerly the USS Trenton), as well as smaller amphibious vessels. Part of the Eastern Fleet, the Jalashwa is the second-largest ship currently in-service with the Indian Navy.

Operation Sukoon

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the Indian Navy evacuated 2,286 Indian nationals and expatriates, including 436 Sri Lankan and 69 Nepali citizens, from war-torn Lebanon. This operation was named Operation Sukoon, meaning "Peace and tranquility". In the year 2006, ten naval doctors from India served for 102 days on USNS Mercy and conducted about 10 medical camps in Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and East Timor. Indian Navy has also provided relief materials to survivors of cyclones in Bangladesh and Myanmar.Two ships from the Indian Navy carried the first international aid material for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

Anti-piracy operations

In October 1999, a coordinated effort by the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard led to the release of a hijacked Japanese cargo ship, MVAlondra Rainbow, from pirates.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has caused significant concerns in India as most of its sea-trade routes pass through the region. The Indian Navy responded to these concerns by deploying the frigate INS Tabar in the Gulf of Aden in October 2008. Within a month of its deployment, the Tabar had prevented attempts by pirates to board two cargo ships and also destroyed a pirate "mother ship". As of 11 November 2008, the frigate had escorted 35 ships safely through the pirate-infested region. The pirates had hijacked a fishing trawler from Thailand and made it their mothership. There were also reports of India deploying destroyer INS Mysore to augment the frigate INS Tabar in anti-piracy operations. On 21 November 2008 India was granted permission to enter Somalian territorial waters to intercept suspected pirate vessels. 23 pirates were arrested by Indian Navy while attempting to hijack a merchant ship near the Gulf of Aden. Anti-piracy patrols were carried out after a request was made by the Seychelles government, resulting in the arrest of nine pirates. Further ships has been send to give a boost to anti-piracy operations. While preventing a pirate attack on a Liberian vessel MV Maud, two pirates were killed and the remaining six were apprehended. On 7 December 2009, the Indian Navy successfully repulsed a pirate attack on a US-owned tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia coast. The Indian Navy was awarded by the U.N for anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. By June 2010, Indian Navy had escorted about thousand ships of fifty nations in the Gulf of Eden.

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