Navy ready for evacuations if Gaza situation warrants it

Navy ready for evacuations if Gaza situation warrants it

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: The Navy chief said that Navy is ready for evacuations if Gaza situation warrants it

More about the news:

• The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Hari Kumar, stated that the Indian Navy is prepared to deploy its assets for evacuation if needed due to the Gaza conflict.
• The Navy has units stationed in the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea to provide assistance.
• Admiral Kumar emphasized the Navy’s role in protecting national maritime interests and revealed plans for a future fleet expansion, aiming for a 165-170-ship force with increased aircraft by 2035.
•  He discussed the integration of unmanned systems, focusing on “manned-unmanned teaming.”
• General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, highlighted the importance of managing differences and resolving disputes to prevent conflicts with unclear end states or exit strategies.

Gulf of Aden:

The Gulf of Aden is an extension of the Indian Ocean, tucked between the Arabian Peninsula and the African continent. The gulf connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea via the Strait of Bab el Mandeb.he gulf – roughly 900 kilometres long and 500 kilometres wide – is an important waterway for transporting Persian Gulf oil. Together with the Red Sea, which it connects with in the northwest through the Bab el Mandeb it forms an essential oil transport route between Europe and the Far East.

Gulf of Oman:

• The Gulf of Oman also known as the Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran, forms the only entrance to the Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean.
• It connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then empties into the Persian Gulf.
• Bordering Countries: Pakistan and Iran in the north, United Arab Emirates in the west and Oman in the south.
• Some of the significant islands that are located in the Gulf of Oman include Sheytan Island, Al Fahal Island, Dimaniyat Islands, and the Sawadi Islands.
• The major international shipping ports that are situated in the Gulf of Oman include Port Sultan Qaboos Muttrah in Muscat, Oman; Chabahar Port in Iran; the Port of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan Container Terminal in the United Arab Emirates.
• Roughly one-third of the world’s oil is exported via the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

Red Sea:

• The Red Sea (Erythraean Sea) is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.
• The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden.
• To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal).
• The sea is underlain by the Red Sea Rift which is part of the Great Rift Valley.
• The six countries bordering the Red Sea are: Saudi Arabia, Yemen , Egypt , Sudan , Eritrea ,  Djibouti .