Naval exercise on east coast

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, MAY 12. In a calibrated show of strength, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard concluded a day-long exercise on Thursday along the eastern seaboard, not far from the Sri Lankan coast.

Five naval ships including a frontline Kashin class destroyer, Khanjar class corvettes and off-shore patrol vessels participated in the exercise between Visakhapatanam and Chennai. Naval helicopters, which operate from the decks of some of these ships, also participated. The aviation element of the ``show'' included Dornier aircraft of the Coast Guard.

The heavily-armed Kashin class destroyers are some of the most capable warships with the navy. Besides packing a lot of punch they can function as ``command and control '' nodes in a battle involving several vessels.

Analysts here view the exercise as a ``graduated'' show of strength to demonstrate the navy's operational preparedness to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Conversely, the manoeuvres were meant to boost the flagging morale of the Sri Lankan forces trapped in the Jaffna peninsula. Sources said the earlier venue of the exercise off Visakhapatanam was deliberately shifted southwards with an eye on the recent flare-up between the LTTE and Sri Lankan forces in the Jaffna peninsula.

Navy sources when contacted, however, termed the exercise a ``routine workout'', planned much in advance. ``We routinely hold these exercises between Paradip, Visakhapatanam and Chennai. Similar manoeuvres are also held in the Arabian Sea,'' they said.

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A. Y. Tipnis, arrived here after a five-day visit to Sri Lanka. Soon after his arrival he met the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh. Later, the Air Chief is expected to present an ``assessment report'' to the Government based on his trip.

In a related development, the Navy and the Coast Guard intensified surveillance along the Tamil Nadu coast under ``Operation Pasha''. Given its close proximity to Sri Lanka, the surveillance zone has been horizontally divided between the Coast Guard and the Navy. The former has deployed offshore patrol vessels and Anderson marine fast boats along with a helicopter component in this zone.

According to sources, Operation Pasha is geared to prevent medicines and kerosene reaching the LTTE cadres in their jungle strongholds in Sri Lanka. Besides, Indian fishermen are stopped from straying into Lankan waters as they can be vulnerable to inadvertent armed attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy.

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