Indian Navy frigate on surveillance duty in South Indian Ocean

Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Teg is on a two-month long deployment in the South Indian Ocean to provide surveillance support in the region, an official statement said on Saturday.

"This is in keeping with India's national objective of ensuring a secure and stable regional environment to allow unhindered economic and social development, not just in India, but also in the entire Indian Ocean Region," a navy statement said.

The ship is scheduled will visit Port Louis, Mauritius from July 13-17 and July 23-26, during which it will undertake joint patrolling and surveillance operations with the Mauritian National Coast Guard ships.

The joint patrolling is aimed at preventing piracy and illegal fishing and would help reinforce maritime security in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Mauritius.

In addition, INS Teg would also assist local authorities in providing assistance in terms of logistics and medical support to the outer islands of Agalega and St Brandon.

The Indian navy has been deploying ships to Mauritius bi-annually since 2009 to assist in patrolling its vast EEZ.

"These deployments have facilitated varied professional interactions with the Mauritian NCG, which have fostered seamless maritime interoperability between the two maritime nations and helped develop a strong bond of friendship and mutual trust that underpin Indo-Mauritian partnership," the navy said adding that it is also a testimony to the "joint commitment towards maritime security in the region".

INS Teg is a guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy and is based at Mumbai. With a displacement of 4m,000 tons and speed of 30 knots, she is armed with the latest weapons and is capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions.

It is commanded by Captain A.Y. Sardesai.