Indian Navy is prepared to counter drone attacks

Visakhapatnam: Naval Anti Drone System (NADS) has been developed indigenously to keep a check on drone attacks on merchant ships, said Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

Sharing details of the Indian Navy’s preparedness against the drone attacks and a proliferation of drones that are in place to counter it, the CNS said the NADS has been progressively fitted on naval ships.

“The system is already deployed on an anti-drone operation. Its effectiveness is being studied as it is a constant surveillance endeavour so that the anti drone system could be improved from time to time,” he explained onboard INS Sandhayak after its commissioning.

Talking about disturbing incidents like drone attacks on merchant ships and piracy resurfaces, the CNS mentioned in the early mid of last year, the piracy was almost nil. “However, again, at the end of last year and this year, we are experiencing a resurgence.

We are aggressively targeting it and not going to allow piracy to resurface and disturb the region.

That’s why our ships have been deployed to inspect every single suspicious vessel we encounter so that they are weapon-free,” he informed.

The Maritime Anti Piracy Act, 2022 helped in carrying out anti piracy operations and taking robust action in searching, visiting and seizing any suspicious vessel, the CNS added.

Describing the induction of INS Sandhayak into the Indian Navy as a big capability enhancement, the Admiral mentioned that three more such vessels would be commissioned early next year. “The commissioning not just helps our country but also the other friendly foreign navies in surveying their waters jointly to ensure maritime security,” the CNS explained.

The state of the art survey vessel is the biggest among the four advanced survey vessels.

It has advanced capabilities, equipment and work done by hydrographers is quite painstaking which required a detailed survey, he explained about the vessel.

“The entire ocean needs to be mapped by preparing charts and they could be carried out through vessels like INS Sandhayak.

The charts thus made in both digital and print formats hold extreme significance not just for the warships but also commercial ships as well,” the CNS elaborated.

Also, the data collected is quite useful for surveying the ocean floor and to harness ocean resources in a sustainable manner for an enhanced blue economy.

Further, he mentioned that it would be a big advantage for the navy to keep the seas well surveyed through such survey ships.