Noting that Chinese research vessels, which are free to operate in international waters, have the ability to track and collect electronic signals, Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar on Saturday said that it becomes a challenge when such vessels in the region operate too close to areas of Indian national interest. India has to work with the its neighbours and other friendly nations to convey these challenges and keep a close watch on the activities of such vessels, he added.
“We are keeping a very close watch in the Indian Ocean Region.. We put lot of effort on surveillance, on maritime domain awareness... Our effort is to know who is present and what are they up to on a 24x7 basis. That is our job and we deploy aircraft, UAVs, ships, submarines, etc.,” the Navy chief said, speaking at a seminar organised by The Chanakya Dialogues and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
