Why is it in the news?

• INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, and INS Kolkata were deployed in the Arabian Sea in response to attacks on ships along the Red Sea trade route in West Asia.

About Red Sea

• The Red Sea is one of the most saline bodies of water globally, situated between Africa and Asia, serving as an inlet of the Indian Ocean.
• Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen are its littoral states.
• Extends from the Suez Canal to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, connecting with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
• Vital for global trade, connecting major consumers in Europe with large suppliers in Asia.
• Approximately 12% of global trade and a significant portion of the world’s oil is shipped through the Red Sea.
• The Red Sea is protected by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 39-nation partnership that includes the navies of the US, India, Australia, France, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
• Recently, the US launched a naval coalition named ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ under the CMF umbrella to establish a safe corridor in the region.
• Djibouti Code of Conduct (2009): Adopted under the International Maritime Organization (IMO).