(Image source from: freepressjournal.in)

India has deployed its aircraft carrier INS Vikramadithya on its western seaboard for sending a clear strategic signal about its operational readiness and combat capability in the maritime domain, to its neighbors.

MS Pawar, the navy deputy chief vice admiral has reviewed personally the “intense air and sea operations” from on board the 44,00-tonne INS Vikramaditya by which the supersonic MiG-29K fighters gets operated, from its deck, in the Arabian Sea.

An officer said, “Admiral Pawar expressed the confidence that INS Vikramaditya will live up to its name and remain victorious in battle always.”

Sea Guardians 2020, the nine-day exercise has been kept in a close watch by the Navy. The Sea Guardians 2020 exercise is between the Pakistani and Chinese warships and submarines, which started off on Monday to “further consolidate their all-weather strategic partnership.”

The concerns about Beijing’s expanding strategic footprint in the Indian Ocean Region, is being persistent by New Delhi. Admiral karambir Singh, the chief of Navy has said that the IOR contains seven-eight Chinese warships. He has also confirmed that a Chinese oceanic research vessel had been driven away by the Indian warships as there had been suspicious activity near the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in September.

A high operational readiness is being maintained by the Indian armed forces ever since the pre-dawn airstrikes have been conducted by the IAF, against the major Jaish-e-Mohammed training facility at Balakot in Pakistan in February last year.

The INS Vikramadithya, or the refurbished Admiral Gorshov which is under a $2.33 billion deal with Russia, is the India’s largest and most powerful ship and was inducted in November 2013.

By Shrithika Kushangi