NEW DELHI: The
Navy
is on standby to deploy warships for emergency evacuation of Indians if the
Iranian missile strikes on US-led forces
in Iraq escalate into a wider conflict in the middle east region.
The Navy currently has a warship, the 4,000-tonne stealth frigate
INS Trikand
, deployed in the
Gulf of Oman
as part of the ongoing "Operation Sankalp", which was launched in June last year to safeguard Indian flagged vessels transiting through the
Strait of Hormuz
after some maritime security incidents in the region.
"INS Trikand can be diverted to help in the evacuation if it's required. The Navy is also keeping a couple of warships on full operational readiness, with all supplies, if they have to head towards the Middle-East," said an official.
Similarly, the
IAF
can deploy its heavy-lift aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster-III for the evacuation if the need arises.
"Both Navy and IAF have helped in evacuating stranded Indians from trouble-spots earlier. Indian warships, for instance, had evacuated Indians as well as foreign nationals from war-torn Yemen under Operation Rahat in early-2015," said the official.
Indian warships have been maintaining a continuous presence in both anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden as well as Operation Sankalp.
"Indian warships and aircraft were deployed to provide a sense of reassurance to the Indian merchantmen, monitor the ongoing situation and respond to any emergent crises. The Navy continues to monitor the situation in the Gulf region," said another official.