As part of capacity-building with friendly nations in the Indian Ocean Region, India has donated two fast interceptor vessels to Mozambique during a ceremony in the port city of Nacala.
The vessels were formally handed over on 8 November after being delivered by the Magar class amphibious warfare vessel INS Gharial. India’s Press Information Bureau reported the ceremony was attended by the High Commissioner of India in Mozambique, Robert Shetkintong, India’s newly appointed Defence Adviser at Maputo, Colonel Puneet Attri, and the Commanding Officer of INS Gharial, Commander Rajan Chib. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence, Augusto Casimiro Mueio, formally accepted the vessels on behalf of the Government of Mozambique.
The Solas Marine water-jet-propelled boats have a top speed of 45 knots and a range of 200 nautical miles at 12 knots. They can carry a crew of five personnel and are equipped with machineguns and bullet-resistant cabins. The two vessels will significantly aid the Government of Mozambique in its effort to combat maritime terrorism and ongoing insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province, the Indian government said.
Earlier, to bolster Mozambique’s maritime security capabilities, India gifted two 30 metre long Larsen & Toubro interceptors (named Namiliti and Umbeluzi) in July 2019, followed in January 2022 by two fast interceptor craft of the same class as presently delivered (16 metre Solas Marine vessels).
On-job training on operating and maintaining the Indian-gifted vessels is also provided by the resident Indian Coast Guard Afloat Support Team at Maputo. The interceptor vessels gifted by India have played a pivotal role since 2019 in anti-insurgency operations, maritime patrol and interdiction, and logistics support missions, the Indian government added.
“The Indian Navy has been collaborating with several friendly littorals of the Indian Ocean Region to equip and train their maritime security forces to counter maritime security challenges like piracy, drug and human trafficking, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, maritime terrorism, etc. The Indian Navy has also been the first responder to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to several nations in the region during natural calamities and other contingencies like the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Indian government said.
“India and Mozambique share a robust strategic partnership that has grown even stronger with each passing year in multiple realms. India is thus fully committed to helping and supporting its maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region in line with the vision of Security and Growth for all in the region (SAGAR) advocated by the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.”
In March 2019, Indian Naval Ships Sujata and Shardul and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi were diverted from their deployment to assist Mozambique when Cyclone Idai struck the Sofala province. Over a period of two weeks, the ships rescued more than 200 civilians, provided emergency medical treatment to over 2 300 people and supplied 10 tonnes of food material by boats and helicopter to flood-affected areas.
In March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India donated 100 000 doses and supplied over one million doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine to Mozambique under the COVAX programme.
India has provided training opportunities for the Mozambique Armed Forces in various professional institutions of the Indian Armed Forces. India also gifted an Infantry Weapons Training Simulator to Mozambique in November last year to be installed at the Army Practicing School Manhica, near Maputo.
Another sign of India-Mozambique cooperation came in April this year when the two nations held the inaugural India-Mozambique Defence Industrial Interaction in Maputo. The High Commission of India in Mozambique said the first edition of this event gave an opportunity for government and private defence companies from India to come together with officials from the Ministries of Defence, Mozambican military (FADM) and Mozambican civil security agencies to discuss cooperation in defence production and procurement.
India has been cultivating good relations with Mozambique and other African nations for some time, notably taking part in the second Tri-Lateral Exercise (Trilat) in March 2024 with the Mozambican and Tanzanian navies. India this year sent two naval vessels, the cadet training ship INS Tir (A86) and the Sukanya-class patrol ship INS Sujata (P56), for the exercise, which was held from 21 to 29 March with the aim of strengthening cooperation between India, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
The first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania (IMT) Trilat exercise was conducted in October 2022, with the participation of the frigate INS Tarkash (F50) exercising with the Tanzanian and Mozambique Navies.
Previously, Indian Naval Ships Sujata, Sunayna and Sumedha undertook joint exclusive economic zone surveillance missions with the Mozambique Navy to strengthen maritime security in the region and undertook harbour and sea training for Mozambique Navy personnel.
