The seventh Fleet of the US Navy says it has despatched a warship 130 nautical miles (about 224 kilometres) west of India’s Lakshadweep islands to assert “navigational rights and freedoms”, a transfer specialists describe as “unnecessary” at a time when ties between Washington and New Delhi are on the upswing.
An uncommon press observe by the seventh Fleet Public Affairs — datelined Philippine Sea, April 7 — admitted that “India’s prior consent” was not requested, however went on to say the transfer by guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones was according to “international law”.
While Indian legal guidelines require prior discover for such a passage or manoeuvers by way of its “exclusive economic zone of continental shelf”, the seventh Fleet maintains that it conducts “routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs)”, that are “not about one country, nor are they about making political statements”.
There was no speedy response from Indian officers. Navy sources mentioned it was a powerful assertion. “If this was an innocent passage, there is no violation of law. But going by the statement that the 7th Fleet has put out, this sounds like a passage exercise,” a supply mentioned.
In a passage train, if a international ship passes by way of the waters of a rustic, the latter normally accompanies it in the method — which didn’t occur on this case.
To make certain, this was not the primary time {that a} US warship handed by way of India’s unique financial zone with out permission; the truth is, it occurs frequently. But what’s uncommon is the aggressive press observe.
“India requires prior consent for military exercises or maneuvers in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law. This freedom of navigation operation (“FONOP”) upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful makes use of of the ocean acknowledged in worldwide legislation by difficult India’s extreme maritime claims,” the seventh Fleet observe mentioned.
The growth caught geo-political watchers abruptly as a result of it got here at a time when the 2 nations had signalled shut cooperation to sort out the China risk within the Indo-Pacific.
Leaders of India, the US, Japan and Australia — a bloc often called Quad — held a digital assembly on March 12 that observers termed “historic”. The leaders mentioned vaccines, local weather change, rising applied sciences, and selling a safe, secure and affluent Indo-Pacific.
Recently, the Quad members additionally joined France in a conflict sport within the Indian Ocean, in an obvious message to Beijing.
The seventh Fleet’s aggression in such a backdrop was surprising. “U.S. Forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis. All operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” its observe mentioned.
Former Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash mentioned it was an “unnecessary move by a friendly country”. Incidentally, he mentioned, the US was one of many few nations that didn’t signal “the international law the US quotes”.
He added that the transfer was most likely a “message aimed at China”, however it “doesn’t make sense to send that message” from the Indian Ocean Region.
The seventh Fleet has a historical past with India. It is notorious for crusing into the waters of the Bay of Bengal in 1971, when the conflict for Bangladesh’s liberation was underway.
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