The Navy’s deployments to maintain dominance in the Indian Ocean would continue even as it wanted the Ministry of Defence to clear its project to have another aircraft carrier, said Admiral Sunil Lanba, the outgoing Indian Navy Chief, while talking to The Tribune on the penultimate day of his service.

Admiral Lanba, who retires on May 31, said the Navy had, over the past couple of years, started permanent deployments at all ingress routes of the Indian Ocean. “We maintain our dominance in the Indian Ocean Region and will continue to do so. We monitor all Chinese warships,” said the Admiral when asked whether India’s dominance would continue despite China’s growing interests in the IOR.

Referring to the Navy’s role after the February 14 Pulwama attack, the Admiral said: “The Navy terminated its ongoing exercise, made deployments towards the north of Arabian Sea and maintained sustained surveillance .” He side stepped a question on the outcome if the Navy was asked to launch an attack saying “it is a hypothetical question”.

India has been maintaining a permanent deployment in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen since 2008. In the past couple of years, the Navy has added patrolling in southern part of the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa and the island countries. In the past 24 months, it has added patrols at the Straits of Malacca world’s busiest sea trade route lying a couple of hundred miles south east of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

On the aircraft carrier, the Admiral said, “We have decided the form and fit of the carrier and its propulsion; an approval is awaited from MoD.” India has a goal of having a three-carrier Navy.

Commenting upon the deployments of the Chinese, the Admiral said since 2008, the Chinese deployment in the IOR had been same six to eight warships at any time and was not decreased. “Only time will tell if they increase it,” he said.