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2 min readNew DelhiMar 24, 2026 06:00 AM IST
The strength of this task force of the Indian Navy is being augmented or reduced based on specific requirements, depending on the evolving situation, it is learnt. (Photo: PIB India/File)
OVER HALF a dozen warships of the Indian Navy have been deployed close to the Gulf region to safely escort tankers carrying fuel to India over the last few days, The Indian Express has learnt. The strength of this task force of the Indian Navy is being augmented or reduced based on specific requirements, depending on the evolving situation, it is learnt.
The Navy had earlier escorted two vessels, two Indian-flagged LPG tankers — very large gas carriers (VLGCs) Shivalik and Nanda Devi — following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
On Monday, the Navy was tasked with escorting two other Indian-flagged LPG tankers — Pine Gas and Jag Vasant — as they crossed the Strait of Hormuz. According to the ship tracking data, the two LPG tankers were nearing the waters between Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands as of Monday noon.
Based on specific requirements for tankers, warships that are sailing close to the area at the time are being tasked with safely escorting the specific tanker crossing the region.
The vessels also take a specific amount of time to reach close to the strait, depending on where they are coming from, before they are escorted. For instance, if they are sailing from Kuwait, it takes about 1.5 days to reach the area, after which a warship escorts them.
The Indian merchant vessels are constantly in contact with the Navy, it is learnt, and the Navy has been continuously tracking their location and movement.
Once Jag Vasant and Pine Gas exit the Strait of Hormuz, 20 Indian vessels would remain in the Persian Gulf.
Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More
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