India Offers Security Escorts To Indian Containerships In High Seas Around The Red Sea

The Indian defence ministry is offering protective escorts to India’s container vessels in the high seas situated around the Red Sea as the security scenario there goes on simmering, a government source stated on Friday.

The source added that containers could encounter delays of up to 14 days in their turnaround time owing to taking a longer and costlier route around Africa, causing higher transport and costs. The cost of freight and insurance has increased because vessels are forced to avoid the whole region and take a more extended channel. Right now, there isn’t any shortage of containers, but a longer turnaround time, per the source.

Vessels have been avoiding sailing in the Red Sea since the Houthi stepped up maritime attacks against commercial ships that were (according to them) a response to the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Several consignments are being escorted with strong security on the high seas with aid from the Ministry of Defence, the source who knows the matter explained on Friday.

The Indian Navy mentioned earlier this week that task groups comprising frigates and destroyers had been deployed in the northern and central Arabian Sea to aid merchant vessels passing via the region.

Aerial surveillance facilitated by a long-range maritime patrol aircraft besides Remotely Piloted Aircraft (abbreviated RPAs) has been boosted to have a full maritime domain awareness, the statement, issued on Sunday, said. Earlier in the week, the US and 11 other nations reportedly issued a joint statement reiterating a call for an end to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Reference: Reuters

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Source: Maritime Shipping News