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India providing security cover at Saarc summit NEW DELHI: India has deployed at least a couple of aircraft and warships, including a frigate packed with weapons, to provide security cover to the ongoing Saarc summit at Maldives. Defence ministry sources say the deployment of assets, including the frigate INS Brahmaputra and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft, will provide seafront and offshore security for delegations of Saarc countries during the summit. Besides its potent weapons, the 3,850-tonne INS Brahmaputra usually carries Sea King and Chetak helicopters as well as a detachment of marine commandos. This is not the first time that Indian warships and aircraft have provided cover for Saarc summits. In 2008, the summit in Colombo also saw three Indian warships and helicopters being deployed in Lankan waters to guard against the active LTTE commandos. Similarly, Indian warships have provided seaward security for international summits in Mozambique in recent years. Defence minister A K Antony had recently held that India would be the net security provider for island countries in the Indian Ocean region. The government is stepping up its military cooperation with Maldives to counter Chinas expanding strategic inroads into the 1,190-island archipelago. The Navy has been regularly deploying Dorniers to help in anti-piracy patrols and maritime surveillance. New Delhi, apart from hydrographic surveys and other military assistance, is also assisting Male to set up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems. Back |
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