The U.S. Navy stated one in all its warship carried out Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in Indian EEZ.
In a uncommon and weird public assertion, the U.S. Navy conceded that it had violated India’s maritime coverage by conducting an train in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The U.S. Navy stated its warship carried out Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in Indian EEZ.
“USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India’s exclusive economic zone, without requesting India’s prior consent, consistent with international law,” the U.S. Navy’s seventh fleet stated in a press release dated April 7.
“India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.”
This FONOP upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful makes use of of the ocean recognised in worldwide regulation by difficult India’s extreme maritime claims, the assertion stated.
The US Department of Defence releases FONOP stories each fiscal which present that the U.S. has been often conducting FONOPs in Indian EEZ, difficult what it calls are “excessive maritime claims”. From 2007 onwards until 2017, the U.S. carried out a number of FONOPs yearly difficult “excessive” Indian maritime claims. No FONOP was carried out in 2018 and 2020 and one FONOP in 2019, based on the annual stories.
There has been no touch upon the incident from the federal government to date.
A South Block official, on situation of anonymity, stated it was just for “military manoeuvres in our EEZ that we need nations to seek our permission and not if they are simply transiting. And the term ‘military manoeuvres’ is not defined anywhere”.
Commenting on the event, former Navy Chief Adm. Arun Prakash stated on Twitter there was an irony in it. “There is irony here. While India ratified U.N. Law of the Seas in 1995, the U.S. has failed to do it so far. For the 7th Fleet to carry out FoN missions in Indian EEZ in violation of our domestic law is bad enough. But publicising it? USN please switch on IFF (Identification, friend or foe)!,” he stated in a tweet.