Maritime security comprises a collection of all the issues that pertain to the seas, and have a bearing on national security. These include, inter-alia, seaborne trade and infrastructure for its pursuit, management of sea resources, environmental issues and employment of naval forces.
Recent Developments Silver Jubilee Commemoration Ceremony of SIMBEX- 2018
India–Japan Maritime Cooperation
Multilateral Air Encounter Code Several countries including the United States and China agreed in principle to multilateral guidelines to manage unexpected encounters between their military aircraft, joining 10 Southeast Asian nations already in the pact.
Indian Ocean Conference
|
Key Determinants for Shaping the Maritime Security Strategy
The key determinants for shaping the maritime security strategy cover broader maritime strategic imperatives and more specific maritime security drivers. These are, both, important influences in shaping the overall strategy, and also govern the determination of India’s areas of maritime interest.
The revised strategy has, accorded increased focus on the following:-
India’s Maritime Security - Aim and Objectives
India’s maritime security aim is to safeguard national maritime interests at all times.
India’s maritime security objectives, flowing from the above aim, are:-
Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy
The maritime security strategy is, in effect, a combination of five constituent strategies for attaining corresponding maritime security objectives. Each strategy employs a combination of various doctrinal roles of the Navy, viz. military, diplomatic, constabulary and benign, with their associated objectives, missions and tasks. The various constituents of the strategy describe the range of coordinated and synergized efforts, to maintain and strengthen India’s maritime security.
Indian Maritime Security Strategy |
Strategy for Deterrence: Prevention of conflict and coercion against India is the primary purpose of India’s armed forces. The Indian Navy contributed to national deterrence at nuclear and conventional levels, by strengthening the credibility of its military capability, readiness posture and communication of intent. The strategy progressed through development of appropriate force structures and capabilities, conduct of threat assessment and contingency planning, maintenance of strategic situational awareness, maintenance of preparedness and presence, and effective strategic communication. |
Strategy for Conflict: The strategy is based on the principles of war, with application of force and focus on strategic effect as additional operational principles. It employs MDA, networked operations, preparedness, jointness and coordination, and operational tempo, as the main operational enablers. The strategy is centered on various operational actions, which include maritime manoeuvre, maritime strike, sea control, sea denial, SLOC interdiction, SLOC protection, coastal and offshore defence, information warfare, and escalation management. |
Strategy for Maritime Force and Capability Development: This strategy describes the ways to develop and maintain a combat ready, technology driven, network enabled navy, capable of meeting India’s maritime security needs into the future. |
Strategy for Coastal and Offshore Security: This strategy describes the ways by which the cooperative framework and coordinative mechanisms for coastal and offshore security will be strengthened and developed, against threat of sub-conventional armed attack and infiltration from the sea. It articulates the coastal and offshore security framework, measures for development of coastal MDA and coastal community participation, mechanisms for coordinating interagency presence, patrol and operational response, cooperative capability development, and focus areas for supporting maritime governance. |
Areas of Maritime Interest
Based on their relative degree of impact on India’s maritime interests, the areas have been categorised as primary and secondary areas of interest.
Primary Areas: India’s primary areas of maritime interest includes the following:-
Secondary Areas: India’s secondary areas of maritime interest include the following:-
Agencies for Coordinated Patrol
Maritime Terrorism In recent decades, there been an expansion of this threat from land to sea, and from sea further onto land, aimed at multiple targets located off or near the coast. The targets may include conventional military and soft non-military assets, such as commercial and population centers, industrial centers, ports, ships, tourist centers, iconic structures, and strategic infrastructure like offshore oil production installations and nuclear power plants. Maritime terrorism has evolved from indirect to direct actions from and at sea, and remains active in our maritime security environment.
|