India closely watching Chinese warships in Pakistan drill

The Indian Navy has been keeping a close watch on the movement of Chinese warships and a submarine which are participating in a mega naval exercise with Pakistan, government sources said on Wednesday.

The navies of China and Pakistan on Monday kicked off their largest naval exercises in the Arabian Sea which included their first joint maritime patrol.

The China-Pakistan Sea Guardians-3 joint maritime exercise, with the theme of "Joint Response to Maritime Security Threats", began at a naval base in Karachi.

China's PLA Navy has deployed a number of platforms including frontline warships and a submarine for the exercise from November 11 to 17.

The Indian Navy is monitoring the movements of the Chinese warships and the submarine which are participating in the Sea Guardian exercise with Pakistan from the moment they entered the Indian Ocean through Malacca Strait, the sources said.

As part of our comprehensive maritime domain awareness, the Indian Navy maintains a close watch on all the movements in the Indian Ocean Region in line with national security interests, the sources said.

Participating troops from the Chinese PLA Navy consist of six vessels, including the guided-missile destroyer Zibo, guided-missile frigates Jingzhou and Linyi, and the comprehensive supply ship Qiandaohu, along with two shipborne helicopters and dozens of Marines, China's state-run Global Times reported.

For the Pakistani side, nine vessels, including the PNS Shahjahan and Saif, three shipborne helicopters, four fighter jets, one fixed-wing anti-submarine patrol aircraft, and dozens of Marines are involved in the exercise, it said.

The Indian Ocean region is largely considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy. In the last few years, China has increased its naval forays into the region triggering some concerns in New Delhi.