India, Myanmar deepen maritime ties as INS Karmuk, LCU 51 make strategic port call at Yangon

India and Myanmar have stepped up maritime engagement with Indian Naval Ships INS Karmuk and LCU 51 making a port call at Yangon, underscoring New Delhi’s continuing efforts to strengthen naval cooperation with its strategically important eastern neighbour. The visit is aimed at enhancing professional interaction between the two navies, building interoperability and reinforcing maritime security cooperation in waters connecting the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indo-Pacific.

The deployment assumes significance because Myanmar occupies a crucial geographical position along India’s eastern maritime neighbourhood, sharing both a long land boundary and access to the Bay of Bengal. Cooperation between the two countries has therefore extended beyond conventional bilateral ties to include maritime security, border management and efforts to address transnational challenges. Naval engagements and port calls provide both sides an opportunity to maintain operational communication even as the regional security environment becomes increasingly complex.

Naval interaction expands

During the Yangon visit, personnel from the Indian Navy are expected to engage with their Myanmar counterparts through professional exchanges and other activities intended to improve understanding between the two maritime forces. Such visits also provide opportunities for discussions on naval practices, training and operational cooperation.

INS Karmuk is a guided-missile corvette of the Indian Navy, while LCU 51 is a Landing Craft Utility vessel designed to transport personnel, equipment and other material between ships and shore. Their deployment together reflects the varied operational capabilities India maintains in the eastern Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.

Bay of Bengal focus

For India, maritime cooperation with Myanmar has particular importance because of the country's location close to critical sea lanes in the eastern Indian Ocean. Myanmar's coastline stretches along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, placing it near maritime routes connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia.

The relationship also fits within India's wider effort to deepen security and connectivity links with Southeast Asian countries. Myanmar serves as India's physical gateway to the region and remains important to New Delhi's Act East Policy despite the political and security challenges within the country.

India has continued engagement with Myanmar across several areas while emphasising its security interests along the shared frontier. Maritime contacts between the two navies form part of this broader relationship and provide a channel for cooperation on issues ranging from search and rescue to humanitarian assistance and maritime security.

Strategic engagement continues

The port call comes at a time when the Bay of Bengal and wider Indo-Pacific have acquired greater strategic importance amid expanding naval activity by regional and extra-regional powers. India has sought to strengthen partnerships with countries across the Indian Ocean while maintaining a sustained naval presence around key maritime approaches.

For New Delhi, Myanmar's geographical position makes continued engagement particularly important. The two countries share a land border of more than 1,600 km, while their maritime neighbourhood links India's eastern seaboard and Andaman and Nicobar Islands with Southeast Asia.

The visit of INS Karmuk and LCU 51 consequently goes beyond a routine port call. By maintaining regular naval contacts and professional exchanges, India and Myanmar are seeking to preserve channels of maritime cooperation at a time when security developments in the Bay of Bengal and eastern Indian Ocean are becoming increasingly important to both countries.