Maritime Security Challenges for the Indian Ocean Region (original) (raw)

2014

For a maritime nation like India, its conception of maritime security of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and, specifically, its approach to maritime security has a long historical legacy. The modern Indian Navy has its origins in the colonial period. But it is the post-colonial period spanning independence and then the imperatives of the Cold War, and later to the interim phase in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the present day strategic partnerships-all of which have contributed to moulding the Indian perspective of maritime security. This article looks at how India's conception of maritime security in the IOR has been affected by these changes and challenges.

Building blocks for maritime security in the Indian Ocean

Ocean Development & International Law, 1996

Marine affairs is of common interest to all littoral and island Indian Ocean states. This article therefore argues that it is an excellent "building block" for maritime security and cooperation in the region. Some suggestions are outlined to strengthen a building block approach to maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

Maritime Safety and Security in Indian Ocean

2016

The Indian Ocean is important to Singapore’s national interests given the island city-state’s geostrategic location. Towards the end of securing and promoting these interests in the Indian Ocean, Singapore has not only participated in regional institutions but also serves a modest “security provider” role as seen in its deployment of naval forces to join multinational counter-piracy operations off Somalia. However, because of the limitations of Singapore’s resource capacity, it becomes imperative to advocate an inclusive approach towards addressing the myriad of maritime safety and security challenges in the Indian Ocean. This includes focusing on building the capacities of the countries bordering the Indian Ocean, as well as careful involvement of extra-regional powers which bring forth niche capabilities.

Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: Convergence Plus Cooperation Equals Resonance

The post-Cold War period has witnessed significant maritime developments. The intensification of trade-linked development and entering into force of Laws of the Seas in 1994 led to state interests being increasingly identified with the seas in terms of freedom of navigation and ocean resources, thus making maritime issues a major subset of national security. Events leading to 9/11 saw the addition of an amorphous dimension to existing threats, thus expanding the ambit of maritime security. While the scope of this paper is restricted to the northern Indian Ocean, globally, the Indian Ocean holds the maximum stakes in terms of vital resources and sea-lines; yet coincidentally, is also the most imperilled, especially in terms of asymmetric threats. India, an emerging power in the region, can assume the responsibility to address these threats through a proactive approach and convergence of interests with regional maritime players.

Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: An Indian Perspective

Traditional and Non-Traditional Security Issues in the Indian Ocean

Sasakawa Peace Foundation's Policy Recommendations by the Quadripartite Commission on the Indian Ocean Regional Security: Appendix, 2018

The purpose of this paper is to identify the range of primary security issues in the Indian Ocean region and serve as a reference for the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA’s contribution to the Quadripartite Commission on Indian Ocean Regional Security. These issues will be divided for analysis into the categories of traditional and non-traditional security (NTS). The paper finds that traditional security threats in the Indian Ocean such as maritime boundary disputes are low compared with those in the Pacific Ocean. The potential for the territorial conflict between India and Pakistan to spill over into the Indian Ocean remains the greatest traditional security challenge. Meanwhile, NTS issues such as trafficking and illegal fishing will continue to pose challenges to the Indian Ocean region. Given the persistence of these threats, attention will need to be focused on addressing them because they generally fly under the radar compared with more widely recognized NTS challenges such as natural disasters and terrorism from Islamic extremist organizations.

Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: The Region-Centric Multilateral Approach

Center for International Strategic Studies, 2017

Indian Ocean is one of the most talked about oceans in the world today. Its significance is multidimensional: it has the most conflicts in its region and is the busiest conduit of world trade. It has also been the focus of super power rivalry during the Cold War and is gaining renewed attention in recent times as the geostrategic interests of the major world powers re-converge in its waters. With the rising politico-strategic foci on its shores, there is increasing evidence of maritime crime in the Indian Ocean, of late. Though substantially abated, yet piracy in the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden coupled with maritime terrorism, drug trafficking and human smuggling are the signs of some serious disturbances to peace and stability in the Ocean, demanding a credible maritime response. The vastness of the Ocean makes it virtually impossible for a single littoral nation to remain successful against these challenges. The changing threat mosaic necessitates a relook at the models of fighting, the threats and the prevailing situation in a diminished maritime security milieu. A paradigm shift from ‘confrontational’ to ‘cooperative’ approach is essential; whereby regional littorals may come together to operate their maritime forces for better preservation of their maritime interests whilst not allowing the extra-regional actors to interfere with the regional settings. This new method may be termed as ‘region-centric multilateral approach’. This would principally mean solving specific difficulties through: using own resources and own operational ways. This approach predicates on the prime cardinal that the extra regional forces pursue an ‘interests-centric’ course, which might not answer the ‘region-specific’ threats and challenges; therefore, region-centric approach becomes the key problem solver in such situations. This study focuses on the major issues in contemporary maritime security, especially in the Indian Ocean, and figures out a way to deal with those. It begins with the description of the Indian Ocean with respect to its significance in global trade and geopolitics thereafter evaluating the oceanic order in terms of various threats of maritime security. After explaining the regional security situation, the study argues for a ‘region-centric’ maritime security model. The study posits that despite several inter-state rifts among the Indian Ocean littoral, the possibility of realizing a region-centric maritime security architecture can be envisaged, as this would be the only framework making region-specific security interests secure. The study suggests that region-specific problems can best be solved by the regional countries themselves as extra-regional nations serve their strategic interests only, and at times, relegating the regional problems to a degree of least significance; and that there always exists a space for cooperation even among the countries with enduring hostility.

CREATING A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR MARITIME SECURITY COOPERATION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION

ABSTRACT In the new century global super power and influential nations have put their interest on India Ocean Region (IOR) due to its vast growth in strategic importance in geo political, natural resources, commercial and security aspect. However, it is facing a risk of growing strategic competition mainly between India and China. Amidst such developments Western powers particularly America exhibits an extensive interest and influence in the region. Nevertheless, risk of interstate conflict, terrorism, illegal fishing, and smuggling, human trafficking, gun running, drug trafficking, natural disasters, sea level rising, climatic changes etc. and many traditional and non-traditional security threats are evident in the IOR. Therefore, IOR states have understood the necessity of a strategic frame work for maritime security cooperation. In this regard considerable efforts are being made by the regional countries. Since most of the countries are under developing and strangled with internal political upheaval the efforts lack significant momentum. Consequently, some conflicts have global implications. This situation presents many threats to IOR to withstand and make a strong regional organisation. However, now Indian Ocean security is no longer domain in colonial states or super powers. Today India and China has become a regional power and they are acting as developing their domination and influence over Indian Ocean. Nevertheless current global realities has introduces new maritime security issues as non-state actors are influencing the security in the region directly. Therefor this is serious issue in IOR in terms of maritime security and trade concern.

INDIA’S MARITIME SECURITY STRATEGY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION

NatStrat, 2024

India's maritime security strategy in the IOR operates under the vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and engages nations and their maritime forces under cooperative mechanisms that stem from existing bilateral and multilateral organisations and understandings. The central focus of these engagements, which are based on inclusivity, is on non-traditional threats that threaten the stability, security and peace of the region. Further, central to these structures and frameworks, is a common thread that seeks to address threats, challenges and risks arising from the maritime domain while maximising on the cooperative opportunities that arise as part of the addressal mechanism.

Maritime Security Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region: Assessment of India’s Maritime Strategy to be the Regional “Net Security Provider”

2018

This thesis assesses India’s maritime strategy and critically examines its efficacy and sustainability including India’s ambitions to be the “net security provider” for the region.” It seeks to answer the question, whether or not the extant maritime strategy would help India maintain its balance of power with respect to China, and recommends complementary actions and alternate strategic options for India to fulfill its goals in the Indian Ocean. The first part of the thesis examines the entire range of strategic maritime threats and challenges posed to India by the evolving Indian Ocean security environment of the twenty-first century. These include the non-traditional threats such as piracy, maritime terrorism and illegal fishing as well as traditional threats posed by India’s hostile neighbours, China and Pakistan. Subsequently, it looks at how India’s foreign policy has shaped its maritime doctrine and strategy, and examines the stated objectives of India’s maritime strategy that...

The Indian Ocean Region: Highlighting the Threats and Challenges of Security in the 21 st Century

Sea power has always exerted great influence on the history of international relations. In the view of the unique strategic position enjoyed by the Indian Ocean, it may be noted that its significance has always been on the rise. The Indian Ocean is a geographic region where one-third of the world's population lives in two dozen states along its rim, intermingling as neighbors and also competitors, outside powers pass through for economic and strategic purposes and resources crucial to international trade and environmental stability must be supervised and safeguarded. The global expeditions for energy security coupled with the recent rise of Asian economies have made this region even more critical for the stableness of the international system. During the last few decades the strategic importance of Indian Ocean has been steadily increasing. From being a quiescent backwater, it has emerged as an area of international interest not only because it is a locus of international sea lines of communication but also because of the interest and penetration shown by the developed nations to penetrate and obtain foothold in the Indian Ocean during and after the Cold War, prominent example of penetration is Diego Garcia.

New challenges for maritime security in the Indian Ocean – an Australian perspective

Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 2011

The Indian Ocean region is growing in strategic importance. It is facing the risks of growing strategic competition, particularly between China and India. However, the region tends to be neglected by Australia despite extensive interests in the region and the possibility of threats to Australia's security emerging from the region, including the risks of intrastate conflict, terrorism, smuggling in all its forms, and illegal fishing. Climate change, sea-level rise and natural disasters are other non-traditional security threats evident in the region. The northwest of Australia is particularly exposed to these challenges to maritime security and requires more attention in Australia's security planning. More broadly, there is a range of other initiatives that Australia might take to engage more constructively in the region and help to enhance regional maritime security and oceans management.

Exploring Risks and Vulnerabilities: An Alternate Approach to Maritime Security Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region

Maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has become a central consideration. Shared risks and common vulnerabilities for state and non-state actors, generated by traditional and non-traditional security challenges, converge to a significant extent at sea. Risk-based approaches offer the potential for regional and extra-regional actors to engage in a constructive and non-confrontational dialogue that can assist collective security cooperation. Analyzing the evolving risk context, and assessing the risks and vulnerabilities, offers a sound basis for developing cooperative strategies for enhancing security in the maritime domain. Developing a regional strategic risk assessment, with a maritime security focus, should be a priority for IOR cooperative security entities. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) could play significant roles in this work.

Maritime security and the Western Indian Ocean's militarisation dilemma

African Security Review, 2022

Ten years after the last large scale piracy attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, other maritime crimes such as illicit fishing and maritime smuggling have emerged. The spill over of conflicts in Yemen and Mozambique and maritime grey-zone activities have also become major maritime security issues. Yet, perhaps the most worrying-though largely underappreciated-trend is the surge of naval activity and strategic competition in the region. This is a major dilemma for the region: The region relies on external military actors to protect vital shipping lanes, but the presence of these actors also risks importing geopolitical tensions that could undermine regional maritime stability. How can the region address these maritime insecurities and the evolving militarization dilemma? We investigate the regional maritime security architecture to identify institutions that can help the region manage the militarisation dilemma. We argue that only the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) mechanism and the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) can help mitigate geopolitical competition in the region. Preparing these mechanisms to deal with the militarisation dilemma will be vital for the long-term prosperity of the Western India Ocean.