INS Teg in Seychelles for surveillance

In a sign of India’s deepening maritime security cooperation with Indian Ocean littoral nations, INS Teg a stealth frigate of the Indian Navy has docked at Port Victoria in Seychelles.

This is part of its mission to carry out joint surveillance in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in areas selected by Seychelles Coast Guard, with SCG personnel embarked onboard.

This mission corresponds with India’s national objective of ensuring a secure and stable regional environment to allow unhindered economic and social development, not just in India, but also in the entire Indian Ocean Region.

Defence cooperation with Seychelles

• Cooperation in the field of training, hydrography and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
• India had provided fast attack craft and Dornier aircraft to Seychelles as part of its capability enhancement.
• INS Teg is also carrying items required for maintenance of SCG ships and will provide assistance for “minor defect rectification on various SCG ships”.

Big picture:

• The Navy has in the recent past significantly scaled up “capacity building and capability enhancement” of friendly foreign countries in addition to undertaking joint and co-ordinated anti-piracy patrols.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid strong emphasis on “comprehensive cooperation” in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) as a way to counter growing Chinese activity in the region and position India as the ‘net security provider’ in the IOR.
• In his visit to Seychelles in March as part of a three-nation tour in the region, Mr. Modi called Seychelles a “vital” partner in the neighbourhood and called upon the nation to become a full partner in the maritime security cooperation between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
• India is setting up Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems in several IOR states which will eventually be integrated into India’s coastal monitoring network.