New Delhi:
The Indian Navy recently forced a suspicious China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) ship to return after it entered India's exclusive economic zone in the Andaman Sea in September, officials said on Tuesday. Asked about the incident during a press conference, Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh said anyone operating in "our region, will have to notify the Indian Navy". The Navy Chief asserted that such activities will be dealt with sternly.
The officials said the Chinese Navy's research ship was forced to leave the area as it had not sought permission to come there.
According to sources, the vessel could have also been used by the Chinese to spy on the Indian activities in the Island territory from where India can keep a close eye on the maritime movements in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and South-East Asian region.
After the vessel was detected by the agencies and found out that it was carrying out research activities in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, an Indian Navy warship was sent there to monitor it.
The Navy's long-term capability plan is to have three aircraft carriers so that two carrier battle groups are ready for deployment in the Indian Ocean Region round-the-clock.
In a press conference on the eve of the Navy Day, the Navy Chief said the first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) will be fully operational by 2022 and it will have a fleet of MiG-29K aircraft.
According to plans, he said the second IAC will be 65,000 ton CATOBAR aircraft carrier with electric propulsion and that Navy will shortly approach the government seeking approval for the project.
At present, the Navy is operating Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya which is India's only aircraft carrier.
