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Pakistan Navy contribution in maintaining peace
NAVY is an important instrument of a maritime policy. The maritime policy of a country involves not only its military strategy but its total response to the oceans around it. If involves economic, social, political and diplomatic aspects as well. This implies that a navy as an instrument of maritime policy has a very important and definite role in peacetime also. Nations aware of this fact have always used this very important tool to further their interests. While being the protector of the maritime boundaries, a navy is also the guardian of the economic strength of a littoral. It can project power to far-off areas or act as ambassadors of peace and goodwill. Navies worldwide are known for their political roles during peace, in addition to their fighting capabilities in war. The future trend appears to be the use of naval forces in support of crucial foreign policy objectives. At the same time, navy can be used for protection of fisheries and marine environment, search and rescue, aid to civil power, marine survey and many other humanitarian and developmental projects. Unfortunately, we in Pakistan have failed to realize the role navy can play in national build up and capitalize on it.
Observers of military affairs will have noted a change in naval thinking over the past several years. Today, the naval planners are thinking in terms of output rather than input. By measuring the value of output in terms of national objectives, the country can rationally decide what resources it should allocate to the navy. In order to satisfy this criteria, it is important that navies are involved in roles which are visible in terms of output, rather than military role alone which is only tested in war.
The primary task of the navy and the naval planners in peace is to prepare for war, hence during peace, emphasis is laid on training, maintenance and administration. Maintenance and support facilities serve to enhance the material efficiency of ships, enabling them to operate for prolonged periods and extended distances. Naturally, this would call for logistics, technical reliability, human endurance etc. The administration also has to be streamlined to create a lean and mean fighting machine that can cater for quick, rapid and correct deployment of the navy. A navy that is seen to prepare for war during peace would rarely have to go to war.
Any service that pays attention to intelligence gathering and surveillance during peace is not surprised by a crisis. A country must keep its area of interest under constant watch. All modern naval crafts are fitted with electronic equipment to monitor the adversarys activities and gather information that can be useful during war. Naval units have the range and the requisite stealth, which is essential in intelligence gathering.
Diplomacy is not a role for which navies are technically designed.
Nevertheless, the main task of navies is not to fight wars but to prevent them and, therefore, naval diplomacy gains importance. Navies offer a wide range of diplomatic instruments for use in normal peacetime, in times of strain and during crisis.
Naval Diplomacy means the use of sea power in furtherance of diplomatic and political objectives of a country. It involves, creating a favourable general and military image abroad, establishing ones right in areas of interest, providing reassurance to allies and friendly regimes, influencing behaviour of other governments, threatening sea borne interdiction and finally threatening intervention.
During the 19th century, the term gunboat diplomacy came into the naval vocabulary. In the quest for colonies, nations paraded their naval forces to intimidate and to serve warning on one another. In present times, the range of this activity has extended from warning and coercion to demonstration of goodwill. It has come to be known as the Naval Presence. The more the Navy is seen in its area of interest, the lesser the chance of trouble brewing. Showing the Flag or presence is not the same as coercive diplomacy. It is a gentler reminder of the existence of the Navy. It is not always a friendly reminder, but there is no threat or intention of using force. Visit of warships to foreign ports is one method of showing the flag, joint exercises is another.
The idea may be to impress another navy or gain public opinion. A firepower display is one way of impressing a foreign navy or country. An auspicious anniversary is often another way of striking the right note.
The navy is only one constituent of sea power. The presence of a strong navy is beneficial to the accomplishment of the tasks of the other constituents of sea power. The effect of sea power can be achieved in times of war only if the necessary linkages have been built between various organizations involved during the peace. The navy has to interact with a great many organizations such as merchant marine, customs, port authorities, ocean technology agencies, deep sea mining agencies, Met authorities, coast guards and sister services. It may be noted that in a country like Pakistan, the navy may also be called upon to take up the Port Control Function, in case of strikes or any other eventuality.
At sea, just as on land, law and order needs to be maintained and the navy must be seen to do it. Basically, this is a constabulary task to make sure that foreign ships within these waters comply with all the laws and regulations of the coastal state for the maintenance of peace, good order and security, enjoyment of its own natural resources, and protection of sovereignty. A navy for this task needs a convincing physical capability to deter misbehaviour of foreign ships and to arrest them if necessary. It may be argued that policing is basically a Coast Guard function. However, some countries may not have a coastguard, and others, like Pakistan, may have a nascent coastguard. Therefore, policing may be carried out by coastguard in conjunction with the navy especially during tension and hostilities. During peace the navy operates seaward of the coast guard and its tasks include:
a. Sovereignty Protection in Territorial Waters. Coastal states enforce their right against an intruder such as a poacher, intelligence trawler, research vessels etc by warning, seizing, firing upon or may be even sinking. The acid test of sovereignty is the ability to exclude others, by using force, if necessary. Warships are the most flexible defence able to challenge, identify, fire a shot etc.
b. Protection of Marine Environment and Control of Marine Pollution. As we enter the 21 century, pollution control and environmental protection has assumed greater importance. The Stockholm Declaration states that it is the responsibility of a state to ensure that the damage caused to ocean environment within its own national jurisdiction doesnt affect the marine environment of a neighbouring state. Marine pollution involves oil spills and nuclear waste. In Pakistan the navy is responsible for controlling marine pollution and enforcement of laws through other agencies like MSA. PN is one of the constituents of Pakistan Environmental Protection Board.
c. Fisheries Protection and Observation of Fishing Regulations. In many countries fishing is a main source of living and constitutes major industry. Even in Pakistan a large number of people depend on its consumption and trade. It is important that this vital source of food is protected from exploitation. Every year the Navy and the Coast Guard apprehend a number of trawlers poaching illegally in our waters. However, the activity remains alive owing to limited resource of Pakistan Navy.
d. Resource Protection in the EEZ. The depletion of resources on land and the promise of marine resource have enough potential for conflict. Marine resources include food such as fish and seaweed, hydrocarbons e.g. oil and gas, chemicals etc. Pakistans EEZ spreads over 250,000 sq. km. A large force is required to effectively monitor the activity in such a vast area.
e. Anti-smuggling. Many a countries have long coastlines which are largely uninhabited and are, therefore, conducive for illegal operations like smuggling etc. Even if such states are maintaining Coast Guards or other agencies for such purposes, in very few countries these agencies have the means to survey such large areas. Therefore, it becomes imperative for the navies to assist such agencies. The 900-km long coastline of Pakistan also falls under this category. Here also, the navy is required to work in conjunction with the Coast Guards, Customs and the Maritime Security Agency.
f. Search and Rescue Assistance in saving life and property, at sea, is a time honoured naval tradition. Only navies have the reach and means to provide assistance in deep oceans far from the coasts. Navies all around the world are often called upon to render search and rescue assistance. Besides, men-of-war at sea are always prepared to respond to SOS calls regardless of nationalities.
g. Control of Illegal Immigration. The movement of people from troubled places to peaceful areas has always been taking place. Despite strict regulations against illegal entry, people attempt to enter other countries in search of a better living. Navies can play an important role in checking such an influx. The actions taken by Malaysian Navy to prevent Vietnamese boat people from landing on their soil or the role of US Navy in prevention of refugees from Haiti and Cuba are some examples.
Traditionally, marine survey has been one of the primary tasks a navy performs. Pakistan has a small hydrographic service and is also the coordinator for Navarea-IX. In fact, hydrographic services in most of the countries are under their navies. An advantage of this arrangement is that a country can carry out survey of its sensitive areas without jeopardizing the security. Presently we are largely dependent on older surveys conducted by the British.
Assistance to the civil administration, when required, is another important function of all Armed Forces. The navy provides armed landing parties for internal security duties. Also, during natural calamities such as cyclones, floods etc naval ships and aircraft provide succour to the people. Navy can also help in evacuation of people stuck up in effected areas. Naval divers often provide diving assistance to civil authorities during floods or other requirements.
The geographical location of a state vis-a-vis a region of importance and the capability of its navy to exploit this advantage is a sure way of getting recognition in the geo-politics of that area. Pakistan is located in close proximity of the strategically vital Persian Gulf. This region has become a focus of attention because of the oil wealth and economic interest of in the region in a more forceful way than the navy.
Out of all the confusion of the past few years, one fact has clearly emerged: the role of naval forces is becoming more and more important. There are many reasons for this increased importance and one of them is its unique ability to influence the geopolitical equation without actually involving itself in hostilities. With the formation of new laws and agreements and emergence of various maritime zones, the interests of a littoral state have diversified. These include the acquisition of living and non-living resources and the legitimate control of maritime activities under national jurisdiction. Clearly, navies will play a major role in upholding and protecting these national maritime interests. Nevertheless, these forces face a new context in which political, diplomatic and legal emphasis outweigh the conventional war-fighting role in terms of naval planning and policy making. The inherent characteristics of navies, which make them ideal for political roles, include the flexibility, visibility and mobility of their forces, and the unique nature of the medium upon which they traverse.
Perhaps the most vital missions for most small navy states are the basic policing function, a portion of the military function, and a portion of the diplomatic function. The basic policing function includes the missions of guarding national sovereignty, resource enjoyment within the EEZ, and maintenance of good order in these waters as well as contributing to internal stability and development. This implies that smaller navies should expand their capabilities on national and regional basis to protect and maintain the freedom of the seas in their immediate areas.
(By Our Defence Correspondent)
NAVY is an important instrument of a maritime policy. The maritime policy of a country involves not only its military strategy but its total response to the oceans around it. If involves economic, social, political and diplomatic aspects as well. This implies that a navy as an instrument of maritime policy has a very important and definite role in peacetime also. Nations aware of this fact have always used this very important tool to further their interests. While being the protector of the maritime boundaries, a navy is also the guardian of the economic strength of a littoral. It can project power to far-off areas or act as ambassadors of peace and goodwill. Navies worldwide are known for their political roles during peace, in addition to their fighting capabilities in war. The future trend appears to be the use of naval forces in support of crucial foreign policy objectives. At the same time, navy can be used for protection of fisheries and marine environment, search and rescue, aid to civil power, marine survey and many other humanitarian and developmental projects. Unfortunately, we in Pakistan have failed to realize the role navy can play in national build up and capitalize on it.
Observers of military affairs will have noted a change in naval thinking over the past several years. Today, the naval planners are thinking in terms of output rather than input. By measuring the value of output in terms of national objectives, the country can rationally decide what resources it should allocate to the navy. In order to satisfy this criteria, it is important that navies are involved in roles which are visible in terms of output, rather than military role alone which is only tested in war.
The primary task of the navy and the naval planners in peace is to prepare for war, hence during peace, emphasis is laid on training, maintenance and administration. Maintenance and support facilities serve to enhance the material efficiency of ships, enabling them to operate for prolonged periods and extended distances. Naturally, this would call for logistics, technical reliability, human endurance etc. The administration also has to be streamlined to create a lean and mean fighting machine that can cater for quick, rapid and correct deployment of the navy. A navy that is seen to prepare for war during peace would rarely have to go to war.
Any service that pays attention to intelligence gathering and surveillance during peace is not surprised by a crisis. A country must keep its area of interest under constant watch. All modern naval crafts are fitted with electronic equipment to monitor the adversarys activities and gather information that can be useful during war. Naval units have the range and the requisite stealth, which is essential in intelligence gathering.
Diplomacy is not a role for which navies are technically designed.
Nevertheless, the main task of navies is not to fight wars but to prevent them and, therefore, naval diplomacy gains importance. Navies offer a wide range of diplomatic instruments for use in normal peacetime, in times of strain and during crisis.
Naval Diplomacy means the use of sea power in furtherance of diplomatic and political objectives of a country. It involves, creating a favourable general and military image abroad, establishing ones right in areas of interest, providing reassurance to allies and friendly regimes, influencing behaviour of other governments, threatening sea borne interdiction and finally threatening intervention.
During the 19th century, the term gunboat diplomacy came into the naval vocabulary. In the quest for colonies, nations paraded their naval forces to intimidate and to serve warning on one another. In present times, the range of this activity has extended from warning and coercion to demonstration of goodwill. It has come to be known as the Naval Presence. The more the Navy is seen in its area of interest, the lesser the chance of trouble brewing. Showing the Flag or presence is not the same as coercive diplomacy. It is a gentler reminder of the existence of the Navy. It is not always a friendly reminder, but there is no threat or intention of using force. Visit of warships to foreign ports is one method of showing the flag, joint exercises is another.
The idea may be to impress another navy or gain public opinion. A firepower display is one way of impressing a foreign navy or country. An auspicious anniversary is often another way of striking the right note.
The navy is only one constituent of sea power. The presence of a strong navy is beneficial to the accomplishment of the tasks of the other constituents of sea power. The effect of sea power can be achieved in times of war only if the necessary linkages have been built between various organizations involved during the peace. The navy has to interact with a great many organizations such as merchant marine, customs, port authorities, ocean technology agencies, deep sea mining agencies, Met authorities, coast guards and sister services. It may be noted that in a country like Pakistan, the navy may also be called upon to take up the Port Control Function, in case of strikes or any other eventuality.
At sea, just as on land, law and order needs to be maintained and the navy must be seen to do it. Basically, this is a constabulary task to make sure that foreign ships within these waters comply with all the laws and regulations of the coastal state for the maintenance of peace, good order and security, enjoyment of its own natural resources, and protection of sovereignty. A navy for this task needs a convincing physical capability to deter misbehaviour of foreign ships and to arrest them if necessary. It may be argued that policing is basically a Coast Guard function. However, some countries may not have a coastguard, and others, like Pakistan, may have a nascent coastguard. Therefore, policing may be carried out by coastguard in conjunction with the navy especially during tension and hostilities. During peace the navy operates seaward of the coast guard and its tasks include:
a. Sovereignty Protection in Territorial Waters. Coastal states enforce their right against an intruder such as a poacher, intelligence trawler, research vessels etc by warning, seizing, firing upon or may be even sinking. The acid test of sovereignty is the ability to exclude others, by using force, if necessary. Warships are the most flexible defence able to challenge, identify, fire a shot etc.
b. Protection of Marine Environment and Control of Marine Pollution. As we enter the 21 century, pollution control and environmental protection has assumed greater importance. The Stockholm Declaration states that it is the responsibility of a state to ensure that the damage caused to ocean environment within its own national jurisdiction doesnt affect the marine environment of a neighbouring state. Marine pollution involves oil spills and nuclear waste. In Pakistan the navy is responsible for controlling marine pollution and enforcement of laws through other agencies like MSA. PN is one of the constituents of Pakistan Environmental Protection Board.
c. Fisheries Protection and Observation of Fishing Regulations. In many countries fishing is a main source of living and constitutes major industry. Even in Pakistan a large number of people depend on its consumption and trade. It is important that this vital source of food is protected from exploitation. Every year the Navy and the Coast Guard apprehend a number of trawlers poaching illegally in our waters. However, the activity remains alive owing to limited resource of Pakistan Navy.
d. Resource Protection in the EEZ. The depletion of resources on land and the promise of marine resource have enough potential for conflict. Marine resources include food such as fish and seaweed, hydrocarbons e.g. oil and gas, chemicals etc. Pakistans EEZ spreads over 250,000 sq. km. A large force is required to effectively monitor the activity in such a vast area.
e. Anti-smuggling. Many a countries have long coastlines which are largely uninhabited and are, therefore, conducive for illegal operations like smuggling etc. Even if such states are maintaining Coast Guards or other agencies for such purposes, in very few countries these agencies have the means to survey such large areas. Therefore, it becomes imperative for the navies to assist such agencies. The 900-km long coastline of Pakistan also falls under this category. Here also, the navy is required to work in conjunction with the Coast Guards, Customs and the Maritime Security Agency.
f. Search and Rescue Assistance in saving life and property, at sea, is a time honoured naval tradition. Only navies have the reach and means to provide assistance in deep oceans far from the coasts. Navies all around the world are often called upon to render search and rescue assistance. Besides, men-of-war at sea are always prepared to respond to SOS calls regardless of nationalities.
g. Control of Illegal Immigration. The movement of people from troubled places to peaceful areas has always been taking place. Despite strict regulations against illegal entry, people attempt to enter other countries in search of a better living. Navies can play an important role in checking such an influx. The actions taken by Malaysian Navy to prevent Vietnamese boat people from landing on their soil or the role of US Navy in prevention of refugees from Haiti and Cuba are some examples.
Traditionally, marine survey has been one of the primary tasks a navy performs. Pakistan has a small hydrographic service and is also the coordinator for Navarea-IX. In fact, hydrographic services in most of the countries are under their navies. An advantage of this arrangement is that a country can carry out survey of its sensitive areas without jeopardizing the security. Presently we are largely dependent on older surveys conducted by the British.
Assistance to the civil administration, when required, is another important function of all Armed Forces. The navy provides armed landing parties for internal security duties. Also, during natural calamities such as cyclones, floods etc naval ships and aircraft provide succour to the people. Navy can also help in evacuation of people stuck up in effected areas. Naval divers often provide diving assistance to civil authorities during floods or other requirements.
The geographical location of a state vis-a-vis a region of importance and the capability of its navy to exploit this advantage is a sure way of getting recognition in the geo-politics of that area. Pakistan is located in close proximity of the strategically vital Persian Gulf. This region has become a focus of attention because of the oil wealth and economic interest of in the region in a more forceful way than the navy.
Out of all the confusion of the past few years, one fact has clearly emerged: the role of naval forces is becoming more and more important. There are many reasons for this increased importance and one of them is its unique ability to influence the geopolitical equation without actually involving itself in hostilities. With the formation of new laws and agreements and emergence of various maritime zones, the interests of a littoral state have diversified. These include the acquisition of living and non-living resources and the legitimate control of maritime activities under national jurisdiction. Clearly, navies will play a major role in upholding and protecting these national maritime interests. Nevertheless, these forces face a new context in which political, diplomatic and legal emphasis outweigh the conventional war-fighting role in terms of naval planning and policy making. The inherent characteristics of navies, which make them ideal for political roles, include the flexibility, visibility and mobility of their forces, and the unique nature of the medium upon which they traverse.
Perhaps the most vital missions for most small navy states are the basic policing function, a portion of the military function, and a portion of the diplomatic function. The basic policing function includes the missions of guarding national sovereignty, resource enjoyment within the EEZ, and maintenance of good order in these waters as well as contributing to internal stability and development. This implies that smaller navies should expand their capabilities on national and regional basis to protect and maintain the freedom of the seas in their immediate areas.
(By Our Defence Correspondent)
