Two elements are playing out as the Iran war grinds on and the US prepares, according to various reports, to send a third aircraft carrier to support the war effort.
One is sea control, which Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd), former Grey Eagle of the Indian Navy, describes as the ability to interdict on the high seas. The other is sea denial, which is what Iran is carrying out in the Strait of Hormuz.
“At 33-km the strait is not very wide and you have to perforce slow down because it is shallower than the open sea,” he said, “But when you reduce your speed, you become more vulnerable to attacks from the adversary. And in this case the Iranians say they have mined this entire area although they have allowed ships of other countries to pass.”
If the strait has been mined, then specialised equipment will have to be brought in if the goal is to remove the mines and ensure free passage. It’s an operation that takes time and Iran is unlikely to allow it to happen.
“We’ve had two Indian tankers that navigated through the strait only the other day,” Sinha acknowledged, “but the IRGC would have provided safe channel to steer.”
It’s equally likely that Iran has not mined the strait or perhaps only a portion of it. But no foreign navy can take chances. The loss of a ship is not only in terms of the vessel and its crew, it’s also about a nation’s prestige going down the tube.
Sinha was doubtful if there can be any kind of preparation for asymmetric warfare. Also, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is from all accounts, operating independently, autonomously of the central authority.
“They are getting inputs to my mind from Chinese satellites and Russian intelligence, which is giving them very accurate positions. It becomes very useful for asymmetric attack because you have a limited number of missiles.”
Tune in for more in this conversation with Vice Adm Shekhar Sinha (Retd), former Indian Navy Grey Eagle.
