India’s Naval Blind Spot: The Strategic Risk of India Lacking Mine Countermeasure Ships

 

India’s maritime security discussion often focuses on aircraft carriers, submarines, and advanced warships. Yet a quieter vulnerability exists beneath the surface.

For decades, the Indian Navy operated the Pondicherry-class minesweepers to counter the threat of naval mines. But with the retirement of the final vessel in 2017, India currently operates without dedicated mine countermeasure ships.

In a region where Chinese submarines are increasingly active in the Indian Ocean and Pakistan is acquiring advanced Chinese SSKs, the strategic implications of mine warfare deserve closer examination.

Why does this capability gap matter, and how could it affect India’s maritime security in a future crisis?

Read the full Strategic Vanguard analysis:
https://www.strategicvanguard.com/post/india-naval-blind-spot-mine-countermeasure-ships

#IndianNavy #NavalStrategy #MineWarfare #IndianOcean #MaritimeSecurity




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