OREANDA-NEWS. July 13, 2015 INS Teg, a stealth frigate of the Indian Navy is currently on a two-month long deployment in the South Indian Ocean with an aim to provide surveillance support in the region. 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. The Indian Navy, while shouldering its security responsibilities, is committed to these objectives and has been contributing in capacity building and capability enhancement of friendly foreign countries as and when requested by them.

INS Teg is scheduled will visit Port Louis, Mauritius from 13 - 17 Jul and 23 - 26 Jul 15. During the deployment, the ship 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 the vast EEZ of the country. 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. These visits also reinforce the cultural and ethnic ties of the two countries and are a testimony to the joint commitment towards maritime security in the region.

It may be recalled that the ship reached Port Victoria, Seychelles on 26 Jun 15 as part of its mission to carry out joint EEZ surveillance in the Seychellois EEZ in areas selected by Seychelles Coast Guard, with SCG personnel embarked onboard till 09 Jul 15. The ship also carried items required for maintenance of SCG ships. A technical team of the ship also provided necessary assistance for minor defect rectification on various SCG ships. Additionally, the ship's team also visited the Missionaries of Charity Old Age Home at Anse Etoile and interacted with the inmates as well as provided medical support and other assistance. The visit also coincided with Seychelles' National Day celebrations on 29 Jun 15, in which a 25-man marching contingent and Naval Band participated in the prestigious annual military parade. This deployment added another chapter to the strong defence and maritime cooperation between India and Seychelles.

INS Teg is a state-of-the-art guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy and is based at Mumbai. With a displacement of 4000 tons and speed of 30 knots, she is armed with the latest weapons and is capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions. At the helm of the ship is the Commanding Officer, Captain AY Sardesai who is assisted by a team of professional and highly motivated men of the Indian Navy.