Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar , NM is a serving Flag officer in the Indian Navy . He currently serves as the Director General Project Seabird . He earlier served as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet , Commandant of the Naval War College, Goa , Flag Officer Sea Training and commanded the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (R33) from 2019 to 2020.
123-938: Dhankhar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1990. He is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. He spent his early years onboard frontline warships as the navigating and operations officer. He has served as an instructor at the Project 15 training team in Mumbai. He attended the Defence Services Staff College , Wellington . He also served as an instructor at the Mids Wing of the Officer Cadet School in Singapore and at
246-672: A four-star admiral , commands the navy. As a blue-water navy , it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region , the Horn of Africa , the Strait of Malacca , and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as in the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously. The primary objective of
369-590: A coup d'état by PLOTE in the Maldives . Naval maritime reconnaissance aircraft detected the ship hijacked by PLOTE rebels. INS Godavari and Indian marine commandos recaptured the ship and arrested the rebels. During the 1999 Kargil War , the Western and Eastern fleets were deployed in the Northern Arabian Sea, as a part of Operation Talwar . They safeguarded India's maritime assets from
492-644: A decade or more. Several countries have made competing territorial claims over the South China Sea. Such disputes have been regarded as Asia's most potentially dangerous point of conflict. Both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, commonly known as Taiwan) claim almost the entire body as their own, demarcating their claims within what is known as the " nine-dash line ", which claims overlap with virtually every other country in
615-443: A dispute over the South China Sea, India's state-run explorer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said that its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh Limited had signed a three-year deal with PetroVietnam for developing long-term cooperation in the oil sector and that it had accepted Vietnam's offer of exploration in certain specified blocks in the South China Sea. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu issued
738-497: A further 14 officers, two warrant officers and 123 ratings wounded. For their role in the war, the officers and ratings of the Navy received the following honours and decorations—a KBE (Mil.), a knighthood, a CB (Mil.), 10 CIEs, two DSOs, a CBE, 15 DSCs, an OBE, 28 DSMs, eight OBIs, two IOMs, 16 BEMs, 10 Indian Defence Service Medals, a Royal Humane Society Medal, 105 mentions in dispatches and 118 assorted commendations. Immediately after
861-543: A harbour at the ancient city of Patala , which has been hyphothzied to be the present day city of Thatta . His army retreated to Mesopotamia using ships built at Sindh . In the period after his conquest, records show that the Emperor of Maurya Empire , Chandragupta Maurya , as a part of his war office, established an Admiralty Division. Many historians from ancient India recorded Indian trade relations. Indian trade reached Java and Sumatra . There were also references to
984-599: A monitoring station, fitted with radars and surveillance gear to intercept maritime communication, in Madagascar . It also plans to build a further 32 radar stations in Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka. According to Intelligence Online , published by a France-based global intelligence gathering organisation, Indigo Publications, the Navy is believed to be operating a listening post in Ras al-Hadd , Oman. The post
1107-458: A naval war at Bombay Harbour resulted in the surrender of Thane , Karanja , and Bandora . By 1534, the Portuguese took complete control over Bombay Harbour . The Zamorin of Calicut challenged the Portuguese trade when Vasco da Gama refused to pay the customs levy as per the trade agreement. This resulted in two major naval wars, the first one— Battle of Cochin , was fought in 1504, and
1230-526: A possible solution to tensions with the United States in the South China Sea would be to sink one or two United States Navy aircraft carriers to break US morale. Also in December 2018, Chinese commentator and Senior Colonel in the People's Liberation Army Air Force , Dai Xu suggested that China's navy should ram United States Navy ships sailing in the South China Sea. The US, although not
1353-648: A potential Pakistani naval attack, and also deterred Pakistan from attempting to block India's sea-trade routes. The Indian Navy's aviators flew sorties and marine commandos fought alongside Indian Army personnel in the Himalayas. In October 1999, the Navy along with the Indian Coast Guard rescued MV Alondra Rainbow , a pirated Japanese cargo ship. In the 21st century, the Indian Navy has played an important role in maintaining peace for India on
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#17327902396131476-490: A process that propagated to the southwest resulting in the V-shaped basin we see today. Extension ceased around 17 million years ago. Arguments have continued about the role of tectonic extrusion in forming the basin. Paul Tapponnier and colleagues have argued that as India collides with Asia it pushes Indochina to the southeast. The relative shear between Indochina and China caused the South China Sea to open. This view
1599-650: A protest. The spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India responded by saying that "The Chinese had concerns but we are going by what the Vietnamese authorities have told us and have conveyed this to the Chinese." The Indo-Vietnamese deal was also denounced by the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times . In 1999, Taiwan claimed the entirety of the South China Sea islands under
1722-401: A sheath of boards laid over the planking in every part, caulked with oakum and fastened with iron nails. The bottoms were smeared with a preparation of quicklime and hemp, pounded together and mixed with oil from a certain tree which is a better material than pith . During the 14th and 15th centuries, Indian shipbuilding and maritime abilities skill set exceeded European capabilities at
1845-630: A signatory to UNCLOS , has maintained its position that its naval vessels have consistently sailed unhindered through the South China Sea and will continue to do so. At times US warships have come within the 12 nautical-mile limit of Chinese-controlled islands (such as the Paracel Islands), arousing China's ire. During the US Chief of Naval Operations' visit to China in early 2019, he and his Chinese counterpart worked out rules of engagement, whenever American warships and Chinese warships met up on
1968-570: A significant coastal navy . The alliance of the Moghuls and the Sidis of Janjira was marked as a major power on the west coast. On the southern front, the 1st Sovereign of the Maratha Kingdom , Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj , started creating his own fleet. His fleet was commanded by notable admirals like Sidhoji Gujar and Kanhoji Angre . The Maratha Navy under the leadership of Angre kept
2091-680: A significant naval fleet although it was the weakest branch of the military . Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani maintained large fleets of trade ships including the Rahīmī and Ganj-i-Sawai . The Rahimi was the largest of the Indian ships trading in the Red Sea . After being sacked by pirates, this ship was replaced by the Ganj-i-Sawa . This ship was eventually sacked by English Pirate Henry Every . The Navy mainly patrolled coastal areas. The navy
2214-821: A true fighting force and to fly the White Ensign of the Royal Navy. In 1934, the Marine was upgraded to a full naval force, thus becoming the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) , and was presented the King's colours in recognition of its services to the British Crown. During the early stages of World War II , the tiny Royal Indian Navy consisted of five sloops, one survey vessel, one depot ship, one patrol vessel and numerous assorted small craft; personnel strength
2337-657: Is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean . It is bounded in the north by South China , in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula , in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luzon , Mindoro and Palawan ), and in the south by Borneo , eastern Sumatra and the Bangka Belitung Islands , encompassing an area of around 3,500,000 km (1,400,000 sq mi). It communicates with
2460-625: Is based at the Eastern Naval Command. The Southern Naval Command is home to the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST). Additionally, the Andaman and Nicobar Command is a unified Indian Navy, Indian Army , Indian Air Force , and Indian Coast Guard theater command based at the capital, Port Blair . Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) receives staff support from, and reports directly to
2583-620: Is considered as a multi-regional power projection blue-water navy . The maritime history of India dates back 6,000 years to the pre- Indus Valley civilisation . A Kutch mariner's log book from 19th century recorded that the first tidal dock in India was built at Lothal around 2300 BC during the Indus Valley Civilisation , near the present-day harbor of Mangrol on the Gujarat coast. The Rig Veda credits Varuna ,
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#17327902396132706-539: Is disputed by geologists who do not consider Indochina to have moved far relative to mainland Asia. Marine geophysical studies in the Gulf of Tonkin by Peter Clift has shown that the Red River Fault was active and causing basin formation at least by 37 million years ago in the northwest South China Sea, consistent with extrusion playing a part in the formation of the sea. Since opening, the South China Sea has been
2829-661: Is headed by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the rank of Vice Admiral . The Eastern and Western commands each have a Fleet commanded by a Rear Admiral . The Western Fleet based at Mumbai is commanded by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) and the Eastern Fleet , based at Visakhapatnam , is commanded by the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF). Apart from
2952-613: Is located directly across from Gwadar Port in Balochistan , Pakistan, separated by approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) of the Arabian Sea. The navy operates INS Kattabomman , a VLF and ELF transmission facility at Vijayanarayanapuram near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. INS Abhimanyu and INS Karna are two bases dedicated for MARCOS . Project Varsha is a highly classified project undertaken by
3075-870: Is located south of Natuna Island within Indonesian territorial waters. Therefore, Indonesia has named two seas that are portions of South China Sea; the Natuna Sea located between Natuna Islands and the Lingga and Tambelan Archipelagos , and the North Natuna Sea located between the Natuna Islands and Cape Cà Mau on the southern tip of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. There has been no agreement between China and Indonesia on what has been called
3198-714: Is one of the oldest naval bases in India. Commissioned in February 1945 as HMIS Shivaji, it now serves as the premier Technical Training Establishment (TTE) of the Indian Navy. In May 2005, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Kadamba at Karwar , 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Goa . Built under the first phase of the Project Seabird , at first it was an exclusively Navy controlled base without sharing port facilities with commercial shipping. The Indian Navy also has berthing rights in Oman and Vietnam. The Navy operates
3321-405: Is operated by the Navy. Indian Navy also trains officers and men from the navies of friendly foreign countries. As of 1 July 2017 , the Navy has 10,393 officers and 56,835 sailors against a sanctioned strength of 11,827 officers and 71,656 sailors. This is inclusive of naval aviation, marine commandos and Sagar Prahari Bal personnel. South China Sea The South China Sea
3444-794: Is responsible for the framework of training and exercises the responsibility through Directorate of Naval Training (DNT). The training year of Indian Navy is defined from 1 July to 30 June of the following year. Seaman training is held at INS Chilika , Orissa. Officer training is conducted at Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala , on the coast of Kerala . Established in 2009, it is the largest naval academy in Asia. Cadets from National Defence Academy also move to INA for their later terms. The Navy also has specialized training establishments for gunnery, aviation, leadership, logistics, music, medicine, physical training, educational training, engineering, hydrography, submarines etc. at several naval bases along
3567-690: The Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , India , Ireland , Italy , Japan, the Netherlands , New Zealand , the Philippines, Poland , Portugal , Romania , Slovakia , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , the United Kingdom , and the United States; the governments in opposition are China, Montenegro , Pakistan , Russia, Sudan , Syria , Taiwan, and Vanuatu . The United Nations itself does not have
3690-896: The East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait , the Philippine Sea via the Luzon Strait , the Sulu Sea via the straits around Palawan , and the Java Sea via the Karimata and Bangka Straits . The Gulf of Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin are part of the South China Sea. $ 3.4 trillion of the world's $ 16 trillion maritime shipping passed through South China Sea in 2016. Oil and natural gas reserves have been found in
3813-833: The First Opium War of 1840 and in the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852. Due to some unrecorded reasons, the Navy's name reverted to the Bombay Marine from 1863 to 1877, after which it was named Her Majesty's Indian Marine. At that time, the Marine operated in two divisions—the Eastern Division at Calcutta under the Superintendent of Bay of Bengal, and the Western Division at Bombay Superintendent of Arabian Sea. In 1892
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3936-524: The Hindu god of water and the celestial ocean , with knowledge of the ocean routes and describes the use of ships having hundred oars in the naval expeditions by Indians. There are also references to the side wings of a ship called Plava , which stabilise the vessel during storms. Plava are considered to be the precursors of modern-day stabilisers. Alexander the Great , during his campaigns in India, built
4059-784: The Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc , and tasked the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to use the name in official maps. In July 2017, to assert its sovereignty, Indonesia renamed the northern reaches of its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea , which is located north of the Indonesian Natuna Islands , bordering southern Vietnam exclusive economic zone , corresponding to southern end of South China Sea. The Natuna Sea
4182-571: The Lee Teng-hui administration. The entire subsoil, seabed and waters of the Paracels and Spratlys are claimed by Taiwan. In 2012 and 2013, Vietnam and Taiwan butted heads against each other over anti-Vietnamese military exercises by Taiwan. In May 2014, China established an oil rig near the Paracel Islands, leading to multiple incidents between Vietnamese and Chinese ships. Vietnamese analysis identifies this change in strategy generating on going incidents as occurring since 2012. In December 2018, retired Chinese admiral Luo Yuan proposed that
4305-426: The Seychelles , upon that country's request. In February 2011, the Indian Navy launched Operation Safe Homecoming and rescued Indian nationals from war torn Libya. Between January–March, the navy launched Operation Island Watch to deter piracy attempts by Somali pirates off the Lakshadweep archipelago. This operation has had numerous successes in preventing pirate attacks. During the 2015 crisis in Yemen ,
4428-448: The Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BCE) also referred to the sea, but by the name Nan Hai (Chinese: 南海 ; pinyin: Nán Hǎi ; lit. 'South Sea') in reference to the State of Chu's expeditions there. Nan Hai, the South Sea, was one of the Four Seas of Chinese literature. There are three other seas, one for each of the four cardinal directions. During the Eastern Han dynasty (23–220 CE), China's rulers called
4551-448: The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (R33) . He subsequently served as the Principal Director of Personnel at NHQ, in the rank of Commodore . Dhankar was promoted to flag rank in February 2021 and was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Training) (CSO (Trg)) at the Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi. After a short stint, he took over as the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) also at Kochi. As FOST, his charter included
4674-419: The Bangka Belitung Islands to the Natuna Islands . The sea lies above a drowned continental shelf ; during recent ice ages global sea level was hundreds of metres lower, and Borneo was part of the Asian mainland. The South China Sea opened around 45 million years ago when the " Dangerous Ground " rifted away from southern China. Extension culminated in seafloor spreading around 30 million years ago,
4797-621: The Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) in New Delhi. The Command was set up in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2001. Indian Navy has its operational and training bases in Gujarat , Karnataka , Goa , Maharashtra , Lakshadweep , Kerala , Odisha , Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh , West Bengal , and Andaman and Nicobar Islands . These bases are intended for various purposes such as logistics and maintenance support, ammunition support, air stations, hospitals, MARCOS bases, coastal defence, missile defence, submarine and missile boat bases, forward operating bases etc. Of these, INS Shivaji
4920-557: The East coast of Sumatra to Lucipara Point ( 3°14′S 106°05′E / 3.233°S 106.083°E / -3.233; 106.083 ) thence to Tanjong Nanka, the Southwest extremity of Banka Island (where it transitions as Java Sea ), through this island to Tanjong Berikat the Eastern point ( 2°34′S 106°51′E / 2.567°S 106.850°E / -2.567; 106.850 ), on to Tanjong Djemang ( 2°36′S 107°37′E / 2.600°S 107.617°E / -2.600; 107.617 ) in Billiton , along
5043-417: The English, Dutch and Portuguese away from the Konkan coast. However, the Marathas witnessed remarkable decline in their naval capabilities following the death of Angre in 1729. The origins of the current Indian Navy date to 1612, when an English vessel under the command of Captain Thomas Best defeated the Portuguese at the Battle of Swally . Although the Portuguese were defeated, this incident along with
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5166-474: The INS Chennai prevented the hijacking of the Liberian merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk. Although India declined to join the multinational US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian , the Indian Navy continued to share information and coordinate operations with the United States, United Kingdom, and France. In May 2024, the Navy officially replaced the terms "Jack" and "Jackstaff" with "National Flag" and "National Flag Staff". The words Jack and Jackstaff originates from
5289-403: The Indian Navy deployed over 10 warships under Operation Sankalp to protect commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea in the wake of Houthi-led attacks on merchant vessels. Some of the ships deployed included guided missile destroyers like the INS Kolkata , INS Kochi , INS Chennai and INS Mormugao , as well as frigates like the INS Talwar and INS Tarkash . On 5 January,
5412-580: The Indian Navy has 67,252 active and 75,000 reserve personnel in service and has a fleet of 150 ships and submarines, and 300 aircraft. As of September 2022, the operational fleet consists of 2 active aircraft carriers and 1 amphibious transport dock , 4 landing ship tanks , 8 landing craft utility , 12 destroyers , 12 frigates , 2 ballistic missile submarines , 16 conventionally-powered attack submarines , 18 corvettes , one mine countermeasure vessel , 4 fleet tankers and numerous other auxiliary vessels , small patrol boats and sophisticated ships. It
5535-410: The Indian Navy has undertaken. Indian naval rescue vessels and teams reached neighbouring countries less than 12 hours from the time that the tsunami hit. Lessons from the response led to decision to enhance amphibious force capabilities, including the acquisition of landing platform docks such as INS Jalashwa , as well as smaller amphibious vessels. During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict ,
5658-404: The Indian Navy launched Operation Sukoon and evacuated 2,280 persons from 20 to 29 July 2006 including 436 Sri Lankans, 69 Nepalese and 7 Lebanese nationals from war-torn Lebanon. In 2006, Indian naval doctors served for 102 days on board USNS Mercy to conduct medical camps in the Philippines , Bangladesh, Indonesia and East Timor . In 2007, Indian Navy supported relief operations for
5781-437: The Indian Navy successfully executed Operation Trident , a devastating attack on the Pakistan Naval Headquarters of Karachi that sank a minesweeper, a destroyer and an ammunition supply ship. The attack also irreparably damaged another destroyer and oil storage tanks at the Karachi port. To commemorate this, 4 December is celebrated as the Navy Day. This was followed by Operation Python on 8 December 1971, further deprecating
5904-581: The Indian Navy was against the Portuguese Navy during the liberation of Goa in 1961. Operation Vijay followed years of escalating tension due to Portuguese refusal to relinquish its colonies in India. On 21 November 1961, Portuguese troops fired on the passenger liner Sabarmati near Anjadip Island , killing one person and injuring another. During Operation Vijay, the Indian Navy supported troop landings and provided fire support. The cruiser INS Delhi sank one Portuguese patrol boat , while frigates INS Betwa and INS Beas destroyed
6027-478: The Indian Navy was part of Operation Raahat and rescued 3074 individuals of which 1291 were foreign nationals. On 15 April 2016, a Poseidon-8I long-range patrol aircraft managed to thwart a piracy attack on the high seas by flying over MV Sezai Selaha , a merchant vessel, which was being targeted by a pirate mother ship and two skiffs around 800 nautical miles (1,500 km; 920 mi) from Mumbai . India enacted its first domestic anti-piracy legislation as
6150-522: The Indian subcontinent further developed their naval forces. During 844–848 AD the daily revenue from these nations was expected to be around 200 maunds (8 tonnes (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons)) of gold. During 984–1042 AD, under the reign of Raja Raja Chola I , Rajendra Chola I and Kulothunga Chola I , a naval expedition by the Chola dynasty captured parts of Burma , Sumatra, Sri Lanka , and Malaya, and simultaneously repressed pirate activities by Sumatran warlords . ... built of fir timber, having
6273-508: The Integrated Headquarters (IHQ) of the Ministry of Defence (Navy), based in New Delhi. The Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS), a vice-admiral, is a Principal Staff Officer (PSO), along with the Chief of Personnel (COP) and the Chief of Materiel (COM), both of whom are also vice-admirals. The Director General Medical Services (Navy) is a Surgeon Vice-Admiral, heads the medical services of the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy operates two operational commands and one training command. Each command
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#17327902396136396-423: The Marine was renamed the Royal Indian Marine, and by the end of the 19th century it operated over fifty ships. The Marine participated in World War I with a fleet of patrol vessels, troop carriers, and minesweepers. In 1928, D. N. Mukherji was the first Indian to be granted a commission, in the rank of an Engineer Sub-lieutenant . Also in 1928, the RIM was accorded combatant status, which entitled it to be considered
6519-456: The Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022, on 20 December 2022 criminalizing maritime piracy and empowering the Indian Navy and other government agencies with the authority to respond to threats at sea. In 2024, Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar referred to the new law as a "great enabler" in the navy's anti-piracy success. That year, The Economic Times referred to the Indian Navy's commitment in combating maritime piracy as "unwavering". In January 2024,
6642-435: The Middle Rocks to Malaysia. In July 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for China to resolve the territorial dispute. China responded by demanding the US keep out of the issue. This came at a time when both countries had been engaging in naval exercises in a show of force to the opposing side, which increased tensions in the region. The US Department of Defense released a statement on August 18 where it opposed
6765-628: The Natuna waters dispute, with China being ambiguous as to the southern limit of its area of interest. States and territories with borders on the sea (clockwise from north) include: the People's Republic of China , the Republic of China (Taiwan) , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei , Indonesia and Vietnam . Major rivers that flow into South China Sea include the Pearl , Min , Jiulong , Red , Mekong , Menam , Rajang , Baram , Kapuas , Batang Hari , Musi , Kampar , Indragiri , Pahang , Agno , Pampanga and Pasig Rivers. The IHO in its Limits of Oceans and Seas , 3rd edition (1953), defines
6888-519: The Navigation and Direction School in Kochi. Dhankar commanded the Magar-class amphibious warfare vessel INS Gharial (L23) . In 2011, he attended the Higher Command Course at the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Command and Staff College in Tokyo. He served as the executive officer and the principal warfare officer of the lead ship of her class of guided missile destroyers INS Delhi (D61) . He then commanded Delhi's sister ship INS Mumbai (D62) . Mumbai
7011-418: The Navy and its reserve components, with Indian officers being promoted to replace British senior officers. However, a number of British flag and senior officers were invited to continue serving in the RIN, as only nine of the Navy's Indian commissioned officers had more than 10 years' service, with the majority of them only having served from five to eight years. Rear Admiral John Talbot Savignac Hall headed
7134-408: The Navy as its first Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) post-Independence. In January 1948, D.N. Mukherji, the first Indian officer in the RIN, became the first Indian to be promoted acting engineer captain. In May 1948, Captain Ajitendu Chakraverti became the first Indian officer to be appointed to the rank of commodore . When India became a republic on 26 January 1950, the Royal prefix was dropped and
7257-478: The Navy to construct a hi-tech base under the Eastern Naval Command . The base is said to house nuclear submarines and also a VLF facility. Indian Navy has a specialized training command which is responsible for organisation, conduct and overseeing of all basic, professional and specialist training throughout the Navy. The Commander in Chief of Southern Command also serves as the Commander in Chief of Training Command. The Chief of Personnel (CoP) at HQ of Indian Navy
7380-426: The North coast of this island to Tanjong Boeroeng Mandi ( 2°46′S 108°16′E / 2.767°S 108.267°E / -2.767; 108.267 ) and thence a line to Tanjong Sambar ( 3°00′S 110°19′E / 3.000°S 110.317°E / -3.000; 110.317 ) the Southwest extreme of Borneo . On the East. From Tanjong Sambar through the West coast of Borneo to Tanjong Sampanmangio,
7503-456: The North point, thence a line to West points of Balabac and Secam Reefs, on to the West point of Bancalan Island and to Cape Buliluyan, the Southwest point of Palawan , through this island to Cabuli Point, the Northern point thereof, thence to the Northwest point of Busuanga and to Cape Calavite in the island of Mindoro, to the Northwest point of Lubang Island and to Point Fuego (14°08'N) in Luzon Island , through this island to Cape Engano ,
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#17327902396137626-451: The Northeast point of Luzon, along a line joining this cape with the East point of Balintang Island (20°N) and to the East point of Y'Ami Island (21°05'N) thence to Garan Bi, the Southern point of Taiwan (Formosa), through this island to Santyo (25°N) its North Eastern Point. On the North. From Fuki Kaku the North point of Formosa to Kiushan Tao (Turnabout Island) on to the South point of Haitan Tao (25°25'N) and thence Westward on
7749-510: The Pakistan Navy's capabilities. Indian frigate INS Khukri , commanded by Captain M. N. Mulla was sunk by PNS Hangor , while INS Kirpan was damaged on the west coast. In the Bay of Bengal , the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was deployed to successfully enforce the naval blockade on East Pakistan. Sea Hawk and the Alizé aircraft from INS Vikrant sank numerous gunboats and Pakistani merchant marine ships. To demonstrate its solidarity as an ally of Pakistan,
7872-466: The Palawan Trench. Now completely submerged, with a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), it was an island until it was covered about 7,000 years ago by increasing sea levels after the last ice age . With an area of 8,866 square kilometres (3,423 sq mi), it is one of the largest submerged atoll structures in the world. The South China Sea has historically been an important trade route between northeast Asia, China, southeast Asia, and going to India and
7995-510: The Parties" but concluded that China had not historically exercised exclusive control within the nine-dash line, hence has "no legal basis" to claim "historic rights" over the resources. It also concluded that China's historic rights claims over the maritime areas (as opposed to land masses and territorial waters) inside the nine-dash line would have no lawful effect outside of what's entitled to under UNCLOS. It criticized China's land reclamation projects and its construction of artificial islands in
8118-429: The Portuguese frigate NRP Afonso de Albuquerque . The 1962 Sino-Indian War was largely fought over the Himalayas and the Navy had only a defensive role in the war. At the outbreak of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , the Navy had one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, nineteen destroyers and frigates, and one tanker. Of these twenty-ships ten were under refit. The others were largely involved coastal patrols. During
8241-462: The RIN's depleted fleet of ships and remaining personnel were divided between the newly independent Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan . 21 per cent of the Navy's officer cadre and 47 per cent of its sailors opted to join the portion of the fleet which became the Royal Pakistan Navy . The Indian share of the Navy consisted of 32 vessels along with 11,000 personnel. Effective from the same date, all British officers were compulsorily retired from
8364-562: The Royal Indian Navy had expanded to a personnel strength of over 25,000 officers and sailors. Its fleet comprised seven sloops, four frigates , four corvettes , fourteen minesweepers , sixteen trawlers , two depot ships , thirty auxiliary vessels, one hundred and fifty landing craft, two hundred harbour craft and several offensive and defensive motor launches. During World War II the Navy suffered two hundred and seventy five casualties—twenty seven officers, two warrant officers and 123 ratings killed in action, two ratings missing in action and
8487-432: The Royal Navy's traditions which implies for national flag and the short pole on the bow of the ship to host the flag in 'naval parlance', respectively. As of August 2015, the Indian Navy is classified as a Rank 3 navy (Power projection to regions adjacent to its own) on the Todd-Lindberg navy classification system of naval strength. The principal roles of the Indian Navy are: While the President of India serves as
8610-448: The Spratly Islands, saying that it had caused "severe harm to the coral reef environment". Finally, it characterized Taiping Island and other features of the Spratly Islands as "rocks" under UNCLOS, and therefore are not entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone . The arbitral tribunal decision was ruled as final and non-appealable by either country. China rejected the ruling, calling it "ill-founded". China's response
8733-408: The Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, the organisational structure of the Indian Navy is headed by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), who holds the rank of Admiral . While the provision for the rank of Admiral of the Fleet exists, no officer of the Indian Navy has yet been conferred this rank. The CNS is assisted by the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS), a Vice Admiral ; the CNS also heads
8856-654: The United States sent Task Force 74 centred around the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal. In retaliation, Soviet Navy submarines trailed the American task force, which moved away from the Indian Ocean towards Southeast Asia to avert a confrontation. In the end, the Indian naval blockade of Pakistan choked off the supply of reinforcements to the Pakistani forces, which proved to be decisive in
8979-608: The Western Central Pacific (excluding the northernmost reaches of the South China Sea closest to the PRC coast) accounted for 14% of the total world catch from commercial fishing of 11.7 million tonnes. This was up from less than 4 million tonnes in 1970. China announced in May 2017 a breakthrough for mining methane clathrates , when they extracted methane from hydrates in the South China Sea, but commercial adoption may take
9102-415: The area. The Western Central Pacific accounted for 14% of world's commercial fishing in 2010. The South China Sea Islands , collectively comprising several archipelago clusters of mostly small uninhabited islands, islets ( cays and shoals ), reefs / atolls and seamounts numbering in the hundreds, are subject to competing claims of sovereignty by several countries. These claims are also reflected in
9225-465: The coastline of India. Naval officers also attend the tri-service institutions National Defence College , College of Defence Management and Defence Services Staff College for various staff courses to higher command and staff appointments. The Navy's War college is the Naval War College, Goa . A dedicated wing for naval architecture under Directorate of Naval Architecture at IIT Delhi
9348-507: The conduct of the operational sea training of all ships of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard . On 18 May 2022, he was appointed Commandant of the Naval War College, Goa . He took over from Rear Admiral Sai Venkat Raman . After an eighteen month tenure, he was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet . He took over from Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh on 10 November 2023. He was succeeded by Rear Admiral Susheel Menon on 21 August 2024. On 28 August 2024, after being promoted to
9471-540: The early years following independence, many British officers continued to serve in the Navy on secondment from the Royal Navy, due to the post-Independence retirement or transfer of many experienced officers to the Royal or the Pakistan navies. The first C-in-C of the Navy was Admiral Sir Edward Parry who took over from Hall in 1948 and handed over to Admiral Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey in 1951. Admiral Pizey also became
9594-532: The east of the Philippines will continue to be called the Philippine Sea . In September 2012, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signed Administrative Order No. 29, mandating that all government agencies use the name West Philippine Sea to refer to the parts of South China Sea within the Philippines exclusive economic zone , including the Luzon Sea as well as the waters around, within and adjacent to
9717-470: The first Chief of the Naval Staff in 1955, and was succeeded by Vice Admiral Sir Stephen Hope Carlill the same year The pace of "Indianising" continued steadily through the 1950s. By 1952, senior Naval appointments had begun to be filled by Indian officers, and by 1955, basic training for naval cadets was entirely conducted in India. In 1956, Ram Dass Katari became the first Indian flag officer, and
9840-708: The high seas. On 26 June 2020, the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held virtually. Vietnam, as the Chairman of the Summit, released the Chairman's Statement. The statement said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is "the basis for determining maritime entitlements, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and legitimate interests over maritime zones, and the 1982 UNCLOS sets out
9963-465: The largest being Taiping Island (Itu Aba) at just over 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) long and with its highest elevation at 3.8 metres (12 ft). The largest singular feature in the area of the Spratly Islands is a 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide seamount called Reed Tablemount , also known as Reed Bank, in the northeast of the group, separated from Palawan Island of the Philippines by
10086-573: The legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out." In January 2013, the Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings against China (PRC) over issues surrounding the nine-dash line , characterization of maritime features, and EEZ. China did not participate in the arbitration. On 12 July 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines on most of its submissions. It clarified that it would not "rule on any question of sovereignty over land territory and would not delimit any maritime boundary between
10209-823: The limits of South China Sea as follows: On the South. The Eastern and Southern limits of Singapore and Malacca Straits [A line joining Tanjong Datok, the Southeast point of Johore ( 1°22′N 104°17′E / 1.367°N 104.283°E / 1.367; 104.283 ) through Horsburgh Reef to Pulo Koko, the Northeastern extreme of Bintan Island ( 1°13.5′N 104°35′E / 1.2250°N 104.583°E / 1.2250; 104.583 ). The Northeastern coast of Sumatra ] as far West as Tanjong Kedabu ( 1°06′N 102°58′E / 1.100°N 102.967°E / 1.100; 102.967 ) down
10332-416: The maritime front, in spite of the state of foment in its neighbourhood. It has been deployed for humanitarian relief in times of natural disasters and crises across the globe, as well as to keep India's maritime trade routes free and open. The Indian Navy was a part of the joint forces exercises, Operation Parakram , during the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff . More than a dozen warships were deployed to
10455-479: The much larger China and that because many countries claim the same territory only multilateral talks could effectively resolve the competing claims. The overlapping claims over Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Putih including the neighbouring Middle Rocks by both Singapore and Malaysia were settled in 2008 by the International Court of Justice , awarding Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore and
10578-688: The name Indian Navy was officially adopted. The prefix for naval vessels was changed from His Majesty's Indian Ship (HMIS) to Indian Naval Ship (INS). At the same time, the imperial crown in insignia was replaced with the Lion Capital of Ashoka and the Union Jack in the canton of the White Ensign was replaced with the Indian Tricolour. By 1955, the Navy had largely overcome its post-Independence personnel shortfalls. During
10701-424: The navy is to safeguard the nation's maritime borders, and in conjunction with other Armed Forces of the union , act to deter or defeat any threats or aggression against the territory, people or maritime interests of India, both in war and peace. Through joint exercises, goodwill visits and humanitarian missions, including disaster relief, the Indian Navy promotes bilateral relations between nations. As of June 2019,
10824-639: The navy were deployed in relief operations. These included Operation Madad in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu , Operation Sea Waves in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands , Operation Castor in Maldives, Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka and Operation Gambhir in Indonesia. Gambhir, carried out following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami , was one of the largest and fastest force mobilisations that
10947-628: The northern Arabian Sea . In October, the Indian Navy took over operations to secure the Strait of Malacca , to relieve US Navy resources for Operation Enduring Freedom . The navy plays an important role in providing humanitarian relief in times of natural disasters, including floods, cyclones and tsunamis. In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami , the Indian Navy launched massive disaster relief operations to help affected Indian states as well as Maldives , Sri Lanka and Indonesia . Over 27 ships, dozens of helicopters, at least six fixed-wing aircraft and over 5000 personnel of
11070-593: The ongoing trials of ex- Indian National Army personnel ignited the Royal Indian Navy mutiny by Indian ratings in 1946. A total of 78 ships, 20 shore establishments and 20,000 sailors were involved in the strike, which spread over much of India. After the strike began, the sailors received encouragement and support from the Communist Party in India; unrest spread from the naval ships, and led to student and worker hartals in Bombay. The strike ultimately failed as
11193-598: The overwhelming defeat of Pakistan. Since playing a decisive role in the victory, the navy has been a deterrent force maintaining peace for India in a region of turmoil. In 1983, the Indian Navy planned for Operation Lal Dora to support the government of Mauritius against a feared coup. In 1986, in Operation Flowers are Blooming , the Indian Navy averted an attempted coup in the Seychelles . In 1988, India launched Operation Cactus , to successfully thwart
11316-718: The parallel of 25°24' North to the coast of Fukien . On the West. The Mainland, the Southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand and the East coast of the Malay Peninsula . However, in a revised draft edition of Limits of Oceans and Seas , 4th edition (1986), the International Hydrographic Organization recognized the Natuna Sea. Thus the southern limit of South China Sea would be revised from
11439-523: The part within Philippine territorial waters often called the "Luzon Sea", Dagat Luzon , by the Philippines. However, following an escalation of the Spratly Islands dispute in 2011, various Philippine government agencies started using the name West Philippine Sea . A Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spokesperson said that the sea to
11562-640: The rank of Vice Admiral , he was appointed as the Director General Project Seabird , which is being undertaken at Karwar Naval Base at INS Kadamba . The previous DG of the project was Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti . Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces . The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff ,
11685-811: The region. Competing claims include: China and Vietnam have both been vigorous in prosecuting their claims. China (various governments) and South Vietnam each controlled part of the Paracel Islands before 1974 . A brief conflict in 1974 resulted in 18 Chinese and 53 Vietnamese deaths, and China has controlled the whole of Paracel since then. The Spratly Islands have been the site of a naval clash, in which over 70 Vietnamese sailors were killed just south of Chigua Reef in March 1988. Disputing claimants regularly report clashes between naval vessels, and these now also include airspace incidents. ASEAN in general, and Malaysia in particular, have been keen to ensure that
11808-594: The repository of large sediment volumes delivered by the Mekong River, Red River and Pearl River. Several of these deltas are rich in oil and gas deposits. The South China Sea contains over 250 small islands , atolls , cays , shoals , reefs , and sandbars , most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, and some of which are permanently submerged. The features are: The Spratly Islands spread over an 810 by 900 km area covering some 175 identified insular features,
11931-599: The responsibility of Company's Marine increased too. Over time, the British predominantly operated from Bombay, and in 1686, the HEIC's naval arm was renamed the Bombay Marine. At times the Bombay Marine engaged Dutch, French, Maratha, and Sidi vessels. Much later, it was also involved in the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824. In 1834, the Bombay Marine became Her Majesty's Indian Navy. The Navy saw action in
12054-616: The sailors did not receive substantial support from either the Indian Army or from political leaders in Congress or the Muslim League. On 21 July 1947, H.M.S. Choudhry and Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman , both of whom would eventually command the Pakistani and Indian Navies, respectively, became the first Indian RIN officers to attain the acting rank of captain. Following independence and the partition of India on 15 August 1947,
12177-506: The sea Zhang Hai ( Chinese : 漲海 ; pinyin : Zhǎng Hǎi ; lit. 'distended sea'). Fei Hai ( Chinese : 沸海 ; pinyin : Fèi Hǎi ; lit. 'boiling sea') became popular during the Southern and Northern dynasties . Usage of the current Chinese name, Nan Hai (South Sea), gradually became widespread during the Qing dynasty . In Southeast Asia it
12300-562: The sea as "South China Sea (Nan Hai)". The Yizhoushu , which was a chronicle of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE), gives the first Chinese name for South China Sea as Nanfang Hai (Chinese: 南方海 ; pinyin: Nánfāng Hǎi ; lit. 'Southern Sea'), claiming that barbarians from that sea gave tributes of hawksbill sea turtles to the Zhou rulers. The Classic of Poetry , Zuo Zhuan , and Guoyu classics of
12423-570: The sea carries trade equivalent to 5 per cent of global GDP. In 2012–2013, the United States Energy Information Administration estimates very little oil and natural gas in contested areas such as the Paracel and the Spratly Islands. Most of the proved or probable 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the South China Sea exist near undisputed shorelines. In 2010,
12546-564: The second engagement happened four years later off Diu . Both these wars exposed the weakness of Indian maritime power and simultaneously helped the Portuguese to gain mastery over the Indian waters. However, in 1526 the Zamorin launched the siege of Calicut on the Portuguese forts in Calicut , successfully eliminating Portuguese influence in the city. By the later seventeenth century Indian naval power revived. The Mughal Empire maintained
12669-675: The ship was entering Chinese waters. The spokesperson for the Indian Navy clarified that as no ship or aircraft was visible from INS Airavat it proceeded on her onward journey as scheduled. The Indian Navy further clarified that "[t]here was no confrontation involving the INS Airavat. India supports freedom of navigation in international waters, including in the South China Sea, and the right of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law. These principles should be respected by all." In September 2011, shortly after China and Vietnam had signed an agreement seeking to contain
12792-643: The survivors of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh. In 2008, Indian Naval vessels were the first to launch international relief operations for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. In 2008, the navy deployed INS Tabar and INS Mysore into the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy in Somalia . Tabar prevented numerous piracy attempts, and escorted hundreds of ships safely through the pirate-infested waters. The navy also undertook anti-piracy patrols near
12915-539: The territorial disputes within the South China Sea do not escalate into armed conflict. As such, joint development authorities have been set up in areas of overlapping claims to jointly develop the area and divide the profits equally without settling the issue of sovereignty over the area. This is true particularly in the Gulf of Thailand. Generally, China has preferred to resolve competing claims bilaterally, while some ASEAN countries prefer multilateral talks, believing that they are disadvantaged in bilateral negotiations with
13038-409: The time. Their ships could carry over a hundred crew and were compartmentalized to limit the effect of damage keeping the ship afloat. By the end of 15th century Indian naval power had started to decline, and had reached its low by the time the Portuguese entered India. Soon after they set foot in India, the Portuguese started to seize all Asian vessels not permitting their trade. Amidst this, in 1529,
13161-761: The trade routes of countries in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. India also had trade relations with the Greeks and the Romans . At one instance Roman historian Gaius Plinius Secundus mentioned Indian traders carrying away large masses of gold and silver from Rome, in payment for skins, precious stones, clothes, indigo, sandalwood, herbs, perfumes, and spices. During 5–10 AD, Kalinga conquered Western Java, Sumatra and Malaya . The Andaman and Nicobar Islands served as an important halt point for trade ships en route to these nations and as well as China. Medieval Empires in
13284-517: The trouble caused by the pirates to the merchant vessels, forced the British to maintain fleet near Surat , Gujarat. East India Company (HEIC) formed a naval arm, and the first squadron of fighting ships reached the Gujarat coast on 5 September 1612. Their objective was to protect British merchant shipping off the Gulf of Cambay and up the Narmada and Tapti rivers. As the HEIC continued to expand its rule and influence over different parts of India,
13407-507: The two fleets, there is a Flotilla each, based at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Port Blair, that provide Local Naval Defence in their respective regions. The Eastern and Western commands each also have a Commodore commanding submarines (COMCOS) - the Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) and the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) . The Flag Officer Submarines , the single-point class authority for submarines
13530-550: The use of force to resolve the dispute, and accused China of assertive behaviour. On July 22, 2011, one of India's amphibious assault vessels, the INS Airavat which was on a friendly visit to Vietnam, was reportedly contacted at a distance of 45 nautical miles (83 km) from the Vietnamese coast in the disputed South China Sea on an open radio channel by a vessel identifying itself as the Chinese Navy and stating that
13653-666: The variety of names used for the islands and the sea. South China Sea is the dominant term used in English for the sea, and the name in most European languages is equivalent. This name is a result of early European interest in the sea as a route from Europe and South Asia to the trading opportunities of China. In the 16th century, Portuguese sailors called it the China Sea ( Mare da China ); later needs to differentiate it from nearby bodies of water led to calling it South China Sea. The International Hydrographic Organization refers to
13776-401: The war's end, the Navy remained a predominantly British-officered service; in 1945, no Indian officer held a rank above engineer commander and only a few Indian officers in the executive branch held substantive senior line officer rank. This situation, coupled with inadequate levels of training and discipline, poor communication between officers and ratings, instances of racial discrimination and
13899-494: The war, the Pakistani Navy attacked the Indian coastal city of Dwarka , although there were no military resources in the area. While this attack was insignificant, India deployed naval resources to patrol the coast and deter further bombardment. Following these wars in the 1960s, India resolved to strengthen the profile and capabilities of its Armed Forces. The dramatic change in the Indian Navy's capabilities and stance
14022-531: The war, the navy underwent a rapid, large-scale demobilisation of vessels and personnel. From the inception of India's naval force, some senior Indian politicians had voiced concerns about the degree of "Indianisation" of the Navy and its subordination to the Royal Navy in all important aspects. On the eve of WWII, the RIN had no Indian senior line officers and only a single Indian senior engineer officer. Even by
14145-420: The west. The number of shipwrecks of trading ships that lie on the ocean's floor attest to a thriving trade going back centuries. Nine historic trade ships carrying ceramics dating back to the 10th century until the 19th century were excavated under Swedish engineer Sten Sjöstrand . $ 3.4 trillion of the world's $ 16 trillion maritime shipping passed through South China Sea in 2016. The 2019 data shows that
14268-667: Was active in the Siege of Hooghly and the Anglo-Mughal War . One of the best-documented naval campaign of the Mughal empire were provided during the conflict against kingdom of Arakan , where in December 1665, Aurangzeb dispatched Shaista Khan , his governor of Bengal to command 288 vessels and more than 20,000 men to pacify the pirate activities within Arakan territory and to capture Chittagong , The Maratha Confederacy had
14391-548: Was appointed the first Indian Commander of the Fleet on 2 October. On 22 April 1958, Vice Admiral Katari assumed the command of the Indian Navy from Carlill as the first Indian Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy. With the departure in 1962 of the last British officer on secondment to the Navy, Commodore David Kirke, the Chief of Naval Aviation, the Indian Navy finally became an entirely Indian service. The first engagement in action of
14514-663: Was at only 114 officers and 1,732 sailors. The onset of war led to an expansion in numbers of vessels and personnel. By June 1940, the navy had doubled its number in terms of both personnel and material, and expanded nearly six times of its pre-war strength by 1942. The navy was actively involved in operations during the war around the world and was heavily involved in operations around the Indian Ocean , including convoy escorts, mine-sweeping and supply, as well as supporting amphibious assaults. When hostilities ceased in August 1945,
14637-553: Was deployed as part of Operation Raahat to provide protection and support to Indian ships and aircraft involved in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Yemen during the military intervention . For this operation, he was awarded the Nao Sena Medal for gallantry. As a staff officer, he served in the Directorate of Naval Plans at Naval headquarters. In September 2019, Dhankar took over as the 5th commanding officer of
14760-493: Was emphatically demonstrated during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . Under the command of Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda , the navy successfully enforced a naval blockade of West and East Pakistan . Pakistan's lone long-range submarine PNS Ghazi was sunk following an attack by the destroyer INS Rajput off the coast of Visakhapatnam in the midnight of 3–4 December 1971. On 4 December,
14883-466: Was once called the Champa Sea or Sea of Cham , after the maritime kingdom of Champa (nowadays Central Vietnam ), which flourished there before the 16th century. The majority of the sea came under Japanese naval control during World War II following the military acquisition of many surrounding South East Asian territories in 1941. Japan calls the sea Minami Shina Kai "South China Sea". This
15006-470: Was to ignore the arbitration result and to continue pursuing bilateral discussions with the Philippines. Taiwan, which currently administers Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands, also rejected the ruling. As of November 2023 , 26 governments support the ruling, 17 issued generally positive statements noting the ruling but not called for compliance, and eight rejected it. The governments in support are Australia , Austria , Belgium , Canada ,
15129-809: Was written 南支那海 until 2004, when the Japanese Foreign Ministry and other departments switched the spelling to 南シナ海 , which has become the standard usage in Japan. In China, it is called the South Sea , ( 南海 ; Nánhǎi ), and in Vietnam the East Sea , Biển Đông . In Malaysia , Indonesia and the Philippines , it was long called the South China Sea ( Tagalog : Dagat Timog Tsina , Malay : Laut China Selatan ), with
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