NEW DELHI, Dec 2: India announced on Friday ambitious acquisition plans for its navy and said the new military hardware would give it greater clout in the strategic energy corridors of the Indian Ocean.

It also said the Indian navy, besides constructing or buying ships, submarines and aircraft, was also building ties with countries in the region to expand its bluewater reach in the Indian Ocean.

“The Indian Ocean is now the highway along which over a quarter of the world’s trade and energy requirements move,” Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash told a news conference in New Delhi.

“The Asia-Pacific region holds immense promise for political, economic and military cooperation and the vital role maritime forces play in this regard makes the Indian Navy a key component of the nation’s foreign policy.”

The 137-ship navy played an international role during last December’s tsunami last December when New Delhi deployed its warships to help devastated Sri Lanka and Indonesia.—AFP