India to be net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond - USA

[Lankan Ranger]

India to be net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond - USA

The US says that India will be a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond with the growth of its military capabilities.

A report entitled The Quadrennial Defence Review (QDR), released in Washington on Tuesday by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, said: "The distribution of global political, economic and military power is shifting and becoming more diffuse. The rise of China, the world’s most populous country, and India, the world’s largest democracy, will continue to reshape the international system."

As economic power, cultural reach and political influence of India increase, India is assuming a more influential role in global affairs, the 128-page QDR report said.

"This growing influence, combined with democratic values it shares with the United States, an open political system and a commitment to global stability, will present many opportunities for cooperation," it said.

"India’s military capabilities are rapidly improving through increased defence acquisitions and they now include long-range maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction and patrolling, air interdiction and strategic airlift," the report noted.

"India has already established its worldwide military influence through counter piracy, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. As its military capabilities grow, India will contribute to Asia as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond," report added.

The once in a four-year report, which shapes the policy of the Pentagon for the next four years, notes that, while the US will remain the most powerful actor, it must increasingly cooperate with key allies and partners to build and sustain peace and security.

"Whether and how rising powers fully integrate into the global system will be among this century’s defining questions and are thus central to America’s interests," it said.

On the other hand, the report expressed concerns over the lack of Chinese transparency over its military development. "The US welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that plays a greater global role."

The report goes on: "However, lack of transparency and the nature of China’s military development and decision-making processes raise legitimate questions about its future conduct and intentions within Asia and beyond," the report said.

The Island-News

 

[RPK]

news.outlookindia.com | 'Navy Not Headmaster of Indian Ocean Region'

With the US wanting India to have a greater security role in the Indian Ocean Region as a naval force, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma today said his force had no intention of becoming the "headmaster" of the region.

He, however, wanted to initiate the process for cooperative policing of the high seas against threats like piracy.

"We talk about coming together in a constructive manner. That has been our (India’s) theme always. India becoming the headmaster .... That is not the intention ever. There are similar threats like piracy that affect all nations equally like the piracy off the Somalia coast .... To that extent, yes,” Verma told reporters here when asked to comment on the US suggestion in this regard last week.

On the 1,000-ship navy concept floated by the US in recent years, the Navy chief said the concept was not referred to in such terms any more, but about navies coming together in areas of convergence that affect all.

"Piracy is perhaps the most prominent example, irrespective of relations that may be existing among countries, we all coming together to find ways and means to combat this menace," he said.

Asked about the Indo-US Malabar series of exercises scheduled for April this year, Verma said the US was to bring a nuclear submarine, apart from a couple of maritime patrol aircraft and four frigates and destroyers to the bilateral exercise.

Verma said a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was supposed to join the exercise in the Arabian Sea, but since it was not stationed in the area, it had to be left out.

Indian Navy would have a frigate, a destroyer and a submarine to participate in the exercise.

In 2007, when Singapore, Japan and Australia had joined India and the US for Malabar in the Bay of Bengal, the Left parties had held protests against the multilateral exercise, saying it was a military grouping against China.

Asked if Malabar could go multilateral again, Verma said the policy was to hold only bilateral exercise.

On the security of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Verma said he had no doubt over the ability of the armed forces in securing the sovereignty of the island territories and that it should not be compared to Maldives, which was a nation with little maritime military capabilities.

"The force levels, be it the Navy, Army or the Air Force, ...We have enough to ensure the security of the islands. The Army battalions, the IAF aircraft and the naval ships stationed here keep patrolling the coast line to ensure its safety," he said.

On strengthening of coastal security after 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he said priority was to ensure coordination among all maritime agencies in the country and it has been achieved.

"That apart, educating fishermen, who can be our eyes and ears, is of top priority. We keep organising awareness programmes in coastal villages and it has borne results, as it had in Kerala, when fishermen noticed movement of a suspicious vessel and tipped off the navy," he said.

 

[sancho]

Their intentions should be clear, they need a local power that is strong enough to counter the expanding of Chinese power to this region (be it Navy, or Army) and although USN is strong, the growing IN and the stratigic location of India, would be a great help.

Could be a reaction for this:

China mulls setting up military base in Pakistan

BEIJING: China has signaled it wants to go the US way and set up military bases in overseas locations that would possibly include Pakistan. The obvious purpose would be to exert pressure on India as well as counter US influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"(So) it is baseless to say that we will not set up any military bases in future because we have never sent troops abroad," an article published on Thursday at a Chinese government website said. "It is our right," the article said and went on to suggest that it would be done in the neighborhood, possibly Pakistan.

"As for the military aspect, we should be able to conduct the retaliatory attack within the country or at the neighboring area of our potential enemies. We should also be able to put pressure on the potential enemies' overseas interests," it said.

A military base in Pakistan will also help China keep a check on Muslim Uighur separatists fighting for an independent nation in its western region of Xingjian, which borders the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Beijing recently signed an agreement with the local government of NWFP in order to keep a close watch on the movement of Uighur ultras.

"I have personally felt for sometime that China might one day build a military base in India's neighborhood. China built the Gadwar port in Pakistan and is now broadening the Karokoram highway. These facilities can always be put to military use when the need arises," Ramesh V Phadke, former Air Commodore and advisor to the Institute of Defense Studies told TNN.

Phadke said the article in very significant. "The purpose may be to see how the international community reacts to it," he said.

China, which has no military bases outside its territory, has often criticized the United States for operating such overseas bases. It has not just changed its standpoint but also wants to enter the lucrative protection business.

"With further development, China will be in great demand of the military protection," the article said. Pakistan, which buys 70% of its military hardware from China, is likely to be an eager buyer for such protection. Beijing may also be able to pressurize Islamabad to accept its diktat using the threat of withholding military supplies.

A Pakistani expert on China-Pakistan relationship has a different view on the subject. "The Americans had a base in the past and it caused a political stink. I don’t think it would be politically possible for the Pakistani government to openly allow China to set up a military base," he said while requesting anonymity. Pakistan might allow use of its military facilities without publicly announcing it, he said.

A Chinese military base can tackle several international relations issues, it said. One of them is "the relationship between the base troops and the countries neighboring to the host country." This is another indication that Beijing is considering Pakistan as a possible base. China’s argument is that a foreign base would actually help regional stability.

"If the base troops can maintain the regional stability, it will be probably welcomed by all the countries in the region," the article said. Beijing is conscious that the move might result in opposition from the US, UK and France which has overseas military bases.

“Thirdly, the relationship between the big countries in the world. The establishment of the troop bases is sensitive to those big countries which have already set up the bases abroad," the article said.

China mulls setting up military base in Pakistan - China - World - The Times of India

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : News / National : Navy for partnership in Indian Ocean region


Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma on Friday said the Navy preferred to work together with other navies in the Indian Ocean region rather than assume leadership as envisaged by the U.S.

“We are talking about coming together on a constructive level… and [Indian Navy] not coming in as a headmaster,” Admiral Verma said on the sidelines of a seminar organised as part of the multi-lateral “Milan” exercise, in which 13 countries are participating here.

He was responding to a question on how the country visualised its role following the Pentagon’s latest assessment that the Indian Navy was acquiring the capability and could possibly assume a greater security role in the region.

Nine foreign ships and delegations from 12 countries including Australia, Brunei, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam arrived here on Wednesday for the 7th edition of the exercise.

The officers and personnel first held operational interaction and took part in a table-top exercise on Thursday aimed at enabling all participating ships to undertake joint planning towards building mutual confidence and improving inter-operability in dealing with problems like piracy, arms and drug running and illegal migration.

Admiral Verma said the theme of the seminar, “Navies in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations,” gave the flavour of cooperation being envisaged by the different navies in the South and South East Asian region.

“Our coming together is not a security bloc but to cooperate to tackle man-made and natural disasters,” he said when asked whether the multi-lateral exercise could raise Beijing’s suspicion considering that some participating countries had maritime disputes with China.

On the “Malabar” exercises with the U.S., he said, it will remain bilateral. A few years ago, the exercise included navies of the U.S., Singapore, Australia and Japan, a move that did not go down well with China. On China’s capability and Indian preparations, Admiral Verma said the Navy’s plans were made taking into account the region and were not country-specific. He said India had the deterrence of conventional capability.

Admiral Verma said creating awareness among the fishing community to threats from the sea, a task undertaken as part of the coastal security plan, has started yielding results. Earlier in his inaugural address at the seminar ‘Andaman & Nicobar Islands,’ Lt. Gov. Bhopinder Singh underscored the need for speed in reaching out to disaster-affected countries.