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India Boosts Naval Patrols to Catch China in Crowded Global Seas

The Indian Ocean hasn’t seen this many warships since World War II as China and Western allies deploy more vessels.

A rocket is fired from the Indian Navy destroyer ship INS Ranvir during an exercise drill in the Bay Of Bengal off the coast of Chennai in April 2017.

A rocket is fired from the Indian Navy destroyer ship INS Ranvir during an exercise drill in the Bay Of Bengal off the coast of Chennai in April 2017.

Photographer: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

India is carrying out more warship patrols than ever before as concerns grow about the country’s ability to remain dominant in the Indian Ocean as China’s naval power quickly increases.

The waters off India haven’t seen this many naval vessels together since World War II as both China and Western allies deploy more warships in the area, according to senior Indian naval officials familiar with the matter. They estimated about 125 foreign naval vessels were in the Indian Ocean at any given time, roughly three times the number deployed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan.