The MoD highlighted the maritime security architecture in the Western Indian Ocean, supported by the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC), the RCOC in Seychelles and the national centres of seven signatory countries namely, Comoros, Djibouti, France, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles

India’s high-tech control centre for monitoring traffic, through the Indian Ocean Region, agreed to cooperate with a similar body in Seychelles, in the southern Indian Ocean, on Tuesday.

The agreement is to enhance cooperation in the realm of maritime security.

The Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the aim is to promote collaboration between the two centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development.

The IFC-IOR is a net security provider, bringing together regional countries to safeguard global commons and freedom of navigation. It also provides security against challenges like piracy, terrorism, gun-running, narcotics, human migration and illegal fishing.

A range of space-based and terrestrial sensors and sources helps to track fishing boats and commercial vessels near the Indian coast and in the vast maritime domain beyond.

The MoD said, IFC-IOR, hosted by the Indian Navy, was established by the Government of India at Gurugram to enhance collaborative maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region which is in line with the country’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

Meanwhile, the IFC-IOR primarily watches over the Northern Indian Ocean and monitors 75 per cent of the world’s maritime trade and half of daily oil consumption.

The IFC-IOR’s partnership with the RCOC, Seychelles now allows the Indian Navy to focus its watch further south.

From the better cooperation perspective, IFC-IOR also hosts International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from 12 partner nations namely, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Singapore, the UK and the US, added the MoD.

The MoD further highlighted the maritime security architecture in the Western Indian Ocean, supported by the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC), the RCOC in Seychelles and the national centres of seven signatory countries namely, Comoros, Djibouti, France, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.

The thrust of this initiative is to track civil, and commercial shipping and tracking of its own hostile warships is done separately by the Navy through its operations room.

The IFC-IOR receives inputs from a range of sensors. Primary inputs are received from India’s coastal radar network, manned by the Coast Guard.

While the information is generated from White Shipping Agreements that India holds with 36 countries and three multinational agencies. This facilitates details of all commercial shipping that is passing through their ports.

IMAC also incorporates inputs from LRIT, a long-range, identification and tracking. A mechanism, working under the International Maritime Organisation, paving the way for 174 countries. Thus, providing real-time information on their commercial shipping.