Showing papers in "Maritime Affairs: Journal of The National Maritime Foundation of India in 2014"

A Contest For Supremacy: China, America and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia

Abstract: The “Rise of China” and “Future of Sino-US Relations” are the current flavour of 21st-century strategic discourse generating intense scholarly debate besides serving as themes for a multitude of wo...

Asia's Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End to a Stable Pacific

Abstract: The South China Sea (SCS) is a water body enclosed by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines and Taiwan. It connects the Pacific and Indian Ocean vi...

Emerging Trends in the Shipping Industry –Transitioning Towards Sustainability

Abstract: Growing concerns about the slow revival of the world economy, volatility in oil prices, overcapacity in shipping and fierce competition is denting profits in the shipping industry. On the other hand, emergence of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution control regimes at sea is forcing ship owners to make expensive technical modifications onboard ships, which are further driving up the costs of operations. In such a rapidly changing scenario, there is a need for a long-term vision for transitioning to an era of sustainability in the international shipping industry. The paper commences with a discussion on the concept of sustainability as applicable to the shipping industry and highlights the recent developments in the maritime domain, which pose significant environmental and economic challenges for the shipping industry. It identifies the emerging trends in the shipping industry and argues that these challenges also present a window of opportunity for the industry, for undertaking a paradigm shift towards ...

Non-traditional Maritime Security Threats in the Indian Ocean Region

Abstract: The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has emerged as the world's major energy and trade route. The IOR littorals are concerned about the vulnerabilities in the region due to various non-traditional maritime security threats such as piracy, maritime terrorism, climate change, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, illegal immigration, and smuggling of arms and drugs. This paper analyses various causes and the patterns of the above-mentioned challenges and examines the effects of these threats on the IOR littorals. The paper concludes that multilateral cooperation is essential to combat the non-traditional maritime threats.

Maritime Military Context of the US Rebalance: Strategic Basis and Prognosis

Abstract: The global order is undergoing a churn and the general pointers forecast an era of a cataclysmic systemic change. The pronouncement of the “Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific”, indicating a shift in US strategic focus to Asia, has captured the imagination of the scholars and the analyst community alike. Within the prevailing nebulous and uncertain global architecture, this strategic recast by the dominant security provider has far-reaching implications. Considering the contextual underpinnings of various policy articulations and the geographic construct of this strategic reorientation, the maritime element would play a crucial role in this re-alignment of US strategic posture. This paper aims to deconstruct the maritime–military context of the US rebalance and draw out necessary implications for international, regional and Indian strategic calculus.

Regional Strategies and Military Buildup in East Asia and Indo-Pacific: A Russian perspective

Abstract: As the center of world economic growth and world politics is shifting to East Asia, the region is undergoing a strategic transformation due to the ongoing power shift. As a result, major regional powers, namely the USA, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and South East Asian states are building up their military potential, in particular naval forces, amid aggravating regional security problems and escalation of maritime disputes. This paper aims to assess regional strategies and military buildup in the Indo-Pacific. With the USA seeking to preserve dominance in the region, China trying to realign the regional power dynamics in its favor, Japan aiming to preserve its place as one of the regional leaders, India and Russia with their goals to become independent powers, and middle and small powers searching for an adequate answer to regional challenges, East Asia and the Indo-Pacific are clearly showing a complex dynamics of competing regional strategies and visions of regional order.

Managing Strategic Security Transactions in the Indian Ocean Region: Moving Away From Zero-Sum Lens

Abstract: The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) presents a unique tapestry of correspondences and divergences, positive and negatives, in an era of flux with world order, most likely, on the cusp of a systemic reordering. The geo-strategic salience of this region, as part of a larger global maritime continuum, has also increased. Strategic hedging behaviour by major stakeholders, resident and non-resident alike; besides securitisation of geo-political discourse that focuses on competitive aspects also present distinctive challenges for evolving a cooperative framework tailored to regional needs. The key issues examined for obtaining a pan-regional politico-strategic rapprochement are the tenets of critical geopolitics, game theory, geography, context and the efficacy of existing multilateral mechanisms, especially Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). The overall aim is to examine the various intertwined threads for formulating an inclusive and multi-sectoral maritime security framework with an IOR contextualisation.

Coastal Gujarat on the Eve of Portuguese Arrival

Abstract: History helps in understanding as well as in formulating policies. India being a peninsular country, various maritime dimensions have played a very important role in moulding its history. The paper attempts to study the Gujarat coast on the eve of the Portuguese arrival in the region as a colonial power in the 16th century. The paper roughly studies coastal Gujarat in the 15th century and the first few decades of the 16th century, by tracing the indigenous market systems, trade routes and commodity transport network, and studies the factors that paved the way for Portuguese dominance in the region.

China's Military Capability and Anti-access Area-denial Operations

Abstract: China's military developments and growing naval capabilities are the focus of much discussion among strategists and policy makers. China's moves in this direction are of particular concern because of the implications to maritime security in the region, particularly to countries that have territorial disputes. Its burgeoning military power and growing naval and maritime capability are linked to the country's overall maritime strategy and rising profile in the international arena, raising questions outside the region as to her long-term intentions in the Asia-Pacific region. Of particular interest is China's Anti-access Area-denial (A2/AD) strategy. This paper undertakes an analysis of China's military with specific reference to the A2/AD strategy, and is premised on the belief that the A2/AD strategy is a component of overall Chinese maritime strategy. This paper suggests that People's Liberation Army Navy military capabilities and force developments are inter-related to the evolution of China's maritime s...

Climate Change and Oceans – Growing Threat and Implications for India

Abstract: The paper focuses on the maritime aspects of climate change. It highlights the regulatory role that the oceans play in the global climate, through its absorptive and buffering capacities. Based on recent reports, the paper presents various observations on ocean warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification and de-oxygenation, and charts out their impacts on the oceans. Based on forecasts for the future, it observes that these changes will continue to degrade marine ecosystems further, unless considerable action is taken now. The paper notes that climate change poses substantial risks to human and natural systems, which have significant implications for India. As this poses challenges to the growth and development of the country, India needs to take action for adaptation as well as for mitigation. The paper also examines India's stand in climate negotiations and suggests that India needs to adopt a flexible approach while championing the cause of an equitable and fair climate deal. The paper concludes that ...

China's Maritime-strategic Presence in IOR: Geopolitical, Geoeconomic and Security Import

Abstract: Developments of the past few years clearly indicate China's quest to establish a permanent maritime-strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region. With China fast emerging as a global super-power with the potential to challenge the primacy of the USA, this is accompanied with significant geopolitical, geoeconomic and security ramifications for the regional countries. This article attempts to examine the possible implications in terms of regional stability, regional balance of power, maritime security, maritime safety, economics and the adversarial potential in India–China relations. For an objective analysis, the study is based on two contrasting theories of international relations. When viewed in context of the Realist theory, China's presence in the region may lead to zero-sum outcomes. On the other hand, the premise of Constructivism could lead to “win-win” outcomes. The paper concludes that the outcomes are likely to lie somewhere between the aforesaid extremes, depending upon the actions of all state...

The Anarchic Sea: Maritime Security in the 21st Century

Abstract: How can mankind govern the seas and oceans? What are the various challenges that need to be considered in this aspect? What could well be the harbinger of future conflict in the high seas? Could it...

Civil–military Dissonance: The Bane of India's National Security

Abstract: The civil–military equation has been assigned great significance in the national security matrix, and experts consider that nations that fail to evolve a stable paradigm of civil–military relations squander their resources and run grave security risks. In India, this issue has failed to receive the importance it deserves because of the general indifference of the politicians to national security affairs on one hand, and the vested interest of the bureaucracy in maintaining the status quo on the other. It is believed that civil–military relations constitute a zero-sum game in which “civilian control” is retained by reducing the power of the military vis-a-vis the civilians. An irrational but subliminal fear of the military has led the Indian politicians to skew the civil–military equation in favour of the bureaucracy and, in a paradigm unique to India, to place the military under their control. Pointing to the military's sense of grievance and the vitiated atmosphere that prevails in the Ministry of Defenc...

The Soldier, the State and the Society in India: A Precarious Balance

Abstract: These are difficult times for civil–military relations in India They may appear normal superficially but lurking beneath the surface are serious differences “More than ever the balance between the Indian state, the Indian society and the nation's military institutions is out of kilter This can have grave implications if the equilibrium is not promptly restored because only nations which are successful in evolving a properly balanced pattern of civil–military relations succeed in their search for security while those who fail, merely end up squandering their limited resources and put their national security at risk” While the Indian State cannot absolve itself of the way it has handled the nation's military, Indian military also needs to do some serious introspection “Blaming the government for all the ills afflicting the defence sector seems to be becoming the default position within the ranks of the military and taking this too far can be really dangerous for the liberal democratic ethos of this nat

Federal Aspects of Internal Security: Indian Case

Abstract: The characteristics of Indian federalism are unique. The uniqueness is conspicuous by its dual character: “federal during normal times, but unitary in times of war”. The study examines how such a federal set-up impinges on India's internal security management, including maritime and coastal security. Despite being in a stronger position constitutionally, the Centre has not been assertive. Finding out various reasons for the Union's hesitancy, the study advocates a stronger role for the Centre in internal security issues. The main reason being the threat matrix to India's internal security is such that it is beyond the capability of the States of India to counter them on their own, effectively. After analysing various constitutional and legal aspects of internal security, the study makes some key recommendations. It advocates the need for the Centre and the States to combine their efforts instead of blaming each other for internal security problems. “Cooperative Federalism” instead of “Competitive Federali...

India's Expanding Foreign Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region: Implications and Prospects for the India–New Zealand Relationship

Abstract: A major feature of India's foreign policy in the post-Cold War era has been its increasing economic, political and strategic engagement with the Asia-Pacific region, a process that began in the 1990s as India's “Look East Policy”. However, New Delhi's eastward expansion, despite sharing many commonalities with New Zealand, has not yet resulted in any substantial relationship with Wellington, be it in the field of politics, economic or defence/security. Despite attempts taken in the last two decades, India's engagement with New Zealand in terms of overall bilateral relationship is still untapped. There is ample scope for these two countries to collaborate and engage themselves in a wide-range of issues encompassing economic, political and strategic aspects of their bilateral relationship, with focus on a closer security partnership to deal with the emerging challenges from traditional and non-traditional threats in the region.