Why Indian Navy is a preferred partner in Indo-Pacific

In response to recent missile and drone attacks by Houthis in the Red Sea, piracy, and hijacking attempts off the Somali Coast, there is one resident navy that has responded every time a distress call has been received and rendered assistance—the Indian Navy. Since the time these incidents in the Red Sea began, the Indian Navy has been deploying 8–10 ships in the Arabian Sea, Gulf, and Bab-el-Mandab regions. These deployments are over and above other deployments to tackle traditional threats that do not have a forecasted arrival time, particularly when we have two nuclear neighbours with whom we do not have the best of relations. Navies all over the world understand the logistics support required for sustaining such operations, which do not seem to be scaling down anytime soon. These ships need to be fuelled at sea and supplied with other provisions, apart from replacement spare parts. Logistic support ships have very important functions for longer deployments, though they can also become suitable targets, being lightly armed. Ships are also required to undergo routine maintenance in the harbour, which is supported by naval dockyards and material organisations. The Indian Navy has a very robust material management network, and there are procedures by which these spares can also be delivered at sea or in harbours in other friendly foreign countries. Whenever the ships return to the harbour or aircraft on patrol return to base on completion of endurance, both of these platforms are substituted by similar platforms. These eat up the running hours of engines and equipment, which could impact availability in a warlike situation. The Indian Navy has been managing this mammoth task extremely efficiently. Ships of friendly countries have also been provided with harbour support in case it is so required. India’s policy has been that of a free and open sea and the right to innocent passage for vessels engaged in trade and commerce. Mankind’s prosperity is linked to trade, and seaborne trade is still the cheapest mode of transportation. Moreover, 70 per cent of the world is water. In the case of India, 95 per cent of trade traverses the seas. The importance of free trade is well understood. Prime Minister Modi’s stated policy of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam”, meaning ‘world is one family’, fits in very well with the maritime strategy of India. Every country’s vessel must have similar unrestricted movement. It is in this spirit that an Iranian-flagged ship was saved from being hijacked by the Indian Navy, and 15 Pakistani crew members returned to their destination safely. Secondly, the principle laid down in the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) suggests the right of innocent passage to all ships and seafarers. It is the duty of all warships to render assistance to ships and crew in distress. The Indian Navy is committed to compliance with conventions, more so when it has been buttressed by our prime minister’s stated policy. These are peacetime operations that appear almost like war or grey zone warfare, where the safety of human lives is of prime concern. What makes the Indian Navy a dependable partner at sea? There are a number of factors that need to be taken into account. India is the biggest country in the IOR with a stable and progressive political system. Its economic rise has been phenomenal, particularly in the last 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has added energy to all systems within the country and the region. PM Modi’s policies of ‘Act East’, ‘Neighbourhood First’, and ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)’ have been extremely successful; they have generated deep confidence among regional and global powers. These principles have been followed by all arms of the government, and the Navy is no exception. It has been the first responder to every disaster in the Indian Ocean Region. Earthquake, tsunami, oil spill, piracy, terrorism, human tragedies, etc., and ensured that India is the first country to provide assistance irrespective of geopolitical differences or nationality. There are many examples, like aid to Turkey post-earthquake, the safe return of 15 Pakistani crew, and saving the lives of many crew members and citizens of various nationalities during evacuations. India being a maritime nation, the Navy has done most of the heavy lifting. Navy crews have given all their might to the cause. Ships and aircraft are fully geared to provide relief at no notice. Every ship of the Navy that sails out of harbour on a routine exercise carries onboard a HADR brick (meaning a container containing relief material such as water, medicine, tents, and other equipment). This gives them the edge to respond and arrive at the scene of action first. This has been standard operating procedure for years and is only getting better. For handling piracy and terrorism at sea, the marine commandos and quick reaction teams have been trained and equipped with the most modern weaponry. The training is ongoing throughout the year. Almost every ship on such missions carries a helicopter fitted with a heavy or light machine gun. The P8 I aircraft are virtually on patrol over the Indian Ocean around the clock. The MQ-9 Sea Guardian UAVs have been a great force multiplier. It is hoped that the US will clear the Letter of Acceptance for 15 such MQ-9s soon, having observed the recent successive piracy attempts and missile attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea and the response of the Indian Navy. This prompt response to render desired assistance as well as save the lives of crew members (despite the presence of warships from many other countries deployed in the Arabian Sea) has been noticed by the world. The Indian Navy does not sleep at sea. It has a commitment to help, which is compounding by the day without any end in sight. It is time that the defence budget for the Navy be increased manifold with an increment in force level equipped with the latest technology weapons, such as rapid-fire multi-barrel guns, laser guns, and probably rail guns. The necessity of a larger aircraft carrier in the 65,000 tons category will provide India with the means to counter more of the threats that are looming large with the rapidly changing geopolitical canvas. The vast areas of the Indian Ocean and our commitment to neighbourhood first, as well as the relative reduction in the gap in GNP between the US and China, are a few of the reasons for India to be self-reliant. India is not likely to take sides and exercise strategic autonomy for the good of the global commons. It is in pursuance of this policy that the Navy has been preparing itself and adding to its capabilities and capacities. The Navy’s reactions to occurrences in IOR, financial assistance to neighbours in debt traps, provision of human essentials to immediate neighbours, capacity building, maritime security, and training support to all neighbours have been hallmarks of India for over two decades now. This has generated much confidence in the neighbourhood and the world. More and more countries are desirous of exercising with the Indian Navy. Naval officers demonstrate a very high degree of leadership at sea and act in accordance with standard operating procedures and national prerogatives. They act expeditiously to support human assistance and disaster relief. They are ready to take armed action if their own ship’s safety becomes endangered. Without any desire for expansionism or occupation of territory, the Indian Navy becomes most dependable to all in the IOR. The author is Member, Trustee Board, India Foundation, Former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff &Commander in Chief, Western Naval Command. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .