While the Goa Maritime Conclave sought to project the Indian Navy’s cooperative engagement at the strategic-operational level, by providing a forum for the Chiefs-of-Navy and Heads of Maritime Agencies in the Indian Ocean Region, the IPRD, on the other hand, was the principal manifestation of the Navy’s international engagement at the strategic-level, addressing ‘holistic’ maritime security issues across the Indo-Pacific.

The first two editions of IPRD were held in 2018 and 2019 respectively at New Delhi.  IPRD 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The third edition of IPRD was held in 2021 in online mode and the fourth edition was conducted, reverting to a physical format, at New Delhi in 2022.

Theme of IPRD-2023

The overarching theme of IPRD-2023 was “Geopolitical Impacts upon Indo-Pacific Maritime Trade and Connectivity”. This year’s edition of the IPRD built upon the previous one, which focussed upon ‘Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)’, by specifically addressing the ‘Trade, Connectivity and Maritime Transport’ pillar of the IPOI.

IPRD-2023 explored geopolitical impacts upon Indo-Pacific maritime trade and connectivity through six professional sessions spread over a three-day period. 

The sessions were:

Nodes of maritime connectivity;

China’s impact vis-à-vis maritime connectivity across the Indo-Pacific;

Maritime connectivity through shipping and trade;

Maritime connectivity through shipping and trade (Part 2);

Private industry in the safety and security of Indo-Pacific maritime trade and shipping; and

Maintaining a rules-based, safe, and secure Indo-Pacific.

Eminent speakers from 16 countries and representatives of the various embassies and high commissions attended and offered diverse regional perspectives on the subject.

Navy Chief’s Address

Speaking at the Indo-Pacific Regional dialogue organised by the Indian Navy, navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said that violations of established rules pose a danger to good order at sea. He described the security situation in the South China Sea as “fragile.” He warned that the region is the most militarised in the world and a “contestation” at sea can have adverse economic and social consequences.

“The fragile security situation in the South China Sea, in addition to the happenings of violations of established codes of conduct or confidence building measures, pose a clear and present danger to good order and discipline at sea,” Admiral Kumar said.

The comments were a rare direct reference to the situation in the South China sea and come at a time when China and Pakistan are undertaking large-scale naval drills in the Arabian Sea.

He said that more than 50 warships of extra regional forces are deployed in the Indian Ocean Region on various missions, including anti-piracy patrols off the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indo-Pacific has a significant naval presence, which can lead to confrontation and contestation.

“Owing to the increased presence of multinational forces, and differing interpretations of international laws, there is this fear that the region’s ‘global commons’ can change to ‘contested seas’,” he said. The navy chief added that this contestation at sea “can have adverse consequences for security-physical, social as well as economic”.

Admiral Kumar made a case for greater collaboration between nations in the maritime nation. “We are traversing through a contested present into an uncertain future. The future of global commons hinges on cooperative efforts of nations,” he said.

He said that cooperative or collaborative systems amongst like-minded maritime nations are essential for a stable future. He also made a strong case for developing interoperability and trust between nations, saying this requires a sustained and continued engagement.

Chinese Threat

China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) presents the greatest challenge to the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific region. The PLAN is supported by the China Coast Guard and the Chinese maritime militia in furthering Chinese national interest in the Indo-Pacific region.

China’s friendship with Pakistan is of concern as they together present a new challenge to India in the maritime domain. India considers the Indian Ocean region as the key to India’s security and also aims to build credibility in the Indo-Pacific.

The dispute over Taiwan and China’s aggressive posture in the South and East China Seas, and China’s rivalry with America for dominance in those waters has brought the Indo-Pacific region centrestage. China’s ‘grey zone’ operations against US maritime forces and its allies have further sharpened rivalries in the Indo-Pacific.

India’s Linkages with the Indo-Pacific

The Indian government’s has often enunciated a vision of a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The Indo-Pacific is the gateway to the Indian Ocean from the east with crucial trade and security implications. Hence its is of vital interest to India as also to ASEAN countries. India has linkages with many countries of southeast Asia and east Asia. The Indian Navy has been exercising with navies of the ASEAN region for many years. The Malabar series of exercises include participation by the United States navy and Japanese Self Defence Forces. Ther Indian Navy has exercised not only in the Bay of Bengal but in the western Pacific as well.

India’s ‘Look East’ policy was enunciated in the early 1990s, keeping in mind its maritime and security interests. The same has transformed into ‘Act East’ policy. In pursuit of this policy, the Indian Navy has engaged its counterparts in the Indo-Pacific by way of maritime military cooperation and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Piracy, maritime terrorism, maritime crimes like drug and human trafficking, are some of the other threats which the Indian Navy has to be deal with. Other non-traditional threats include climate change-induced sea-level rise and maritime pollution. State actors in particular are challenging the rules-based, liberal international order and need to be dealt with.

Indian Navy’s Approach

The Indian Navy provides maritime security for safe trade and monitors vessels that enter or leave the Indian Ocean region through the Malacca Strait, with the Andaman and Nicobar Command’s undertaking regular surveillance. Coordinated naval patrols with Bangladesh, Thai and Indonesian navies have been institutionalised. Maritime partnership exercises are conducted with Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, in bilateral or multilateral formats.

Indian naval ships, submarines and aircraft have undertaken long-range overseas deployments, across the Indo-Pacific as far as Japan, Hawaii and Australia.

Towards becoming a net security provider in the region, the Indian Navy has been helping smaller maritime neighbours and providing platforms and equipment for their navies. Neibhbours have appreciated India’s help in training, repairs, expertise in hydrography, maritime surveys and cartographic assistance.

The Indian Navy is the first responder in the region for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones, and pandemics the Indian Navy’s contribution with relief supplies with professionalism has created yremendous goodwill.

Comments

The Indo-Pacific region stretches from the coastlines of East Africa to the western Americas. It is today a vital oceanic space comprising critical chokepoints that carry a majority of the world’s trade. The chokepoints are situated at key geopolitical flashpoints. The Indo-Pacific is now perceived as vital for energy security, maritime security, and maritime commerce. The Indian Navy is is a formidable and potent force to provide such security in the region.

The Indian Navy is preparing a 175-ship plan (25 ships more than its current strength of 150) to particularly deal with the Chinese threat in the Indian Ocean.

India has strategic partnership with the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Southeast Asian countries, and West Asian countries. India is also involved in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) featuring three partners in the US, Japan, and Australia.

The Indian Navy is playing an important role in realising the Indian government’s vision of a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The post Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2023 appeared first on IMR.

In the fourteen-day Indo-Pak War of 1971the Indian Navy came of age, attacked Karachi twice and sank five ships, kept the Pakistan Navy at bay and captured two Pakistani merchant ships, though it lost INS Khukri, which sank to INS PNS Hangor’s torpedo attack with loss of 194 lives just off Diu. An Alize which was on an EW mission was shot down on with Lt Cdr Aku Roy in Kutch sea area. In the East, Navy wrote a new chapter of naval warfare and contributed to the hastened surrender by Pakistani forces.

When prime minister Indira Gandhi gave directions to the three Service chiefs – Gen SHFJ Manekshaw, Admiral SM Nanda and Air Chief Marshal PC Lal – to make preparations for war in earnest, the ‘War Book’ was updated, logistics beefed up and exercises undertaken, with simulated plans of attack in war. The operational orders were put in place and the Armed Forces practiced drills in conjunction. The co-ordination between the Chiefs with Manekshaw and the Government was the best India ever seen. Manekshaw donned and acted like a de facto Chief of Defence Staff. Mrs Gandhi reposed faith in him and this was key to the victory that followed.

The Navy practiced anti-submarine warfare and sent submarines for patrols off the Pakistan coast. It exercised missile attacks against Karachi with the newly acquired Osa-class boats with40 km-range missiles and excellent homing nose radars. The Osas possessed the Rangout radars which when switched on ‘High Power’, could get ranges of over 35 km. The boats lacked range but the Navy devised means to tow them to long distances with nylon tow ropes. The Navy arranged to fuel the boats in forward positions on the West Coast at Porbunder and Okha.

Dawn broke on 3 December like any other, with tension in the air. That evening witnessed the beginning of a new chapter in Indian history. Pakistani Air Force fighters struck at seven major air fields – Srinagar, Avantipur (Kashmir), Amritsar, Pathankot, Ambala (Punjab) Barmer and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) – between 1740 and 1810 hours just after dusk, hoping to cripple the Indian Air Force on the ground. But the Indian aircraft had been well dispersed, and only slight damage was caused. At 1830 hours, the Pakistani armoured forces and infantry crossed the cease-fire line in Kashmir in the Poonch sector and 11 border posts in Kashmir and Punjab were heavily shelled. Mrs Gandhi spoke to the nation by radio and announced that the country was at war with Pakistan.

The signal message from Chief of Naval Staff Admiral SM Nanda released at the outbreak of hostilities was clear: “Pakistan has committed an unprovoked aggression against us and our defence services have been ordered to meet this challenge with full courage and determination. My objective is to seek and destroy Pakistani lines of communication and, along with the sister Services, inflict the maximum damage on the enemy war machine.

I expect all officers, sailors and civilians in the Navy to do their duty and act according to the best traditions of our great Service. No sacrifice should be too much for us. Let us write a new and glorious chapter in the history of our Service”.

The Western Fleet was at sea ready for battle. Apparently, the Pakistani Fleet failed to come out which confused the Indian Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Chandy Kuruvilla. The C-in-C Western Naval Command, Vice Adm S.N. Kohli opened his war orders and set in motion the attack on Karachi. The Western Fleet, with a missile boat should have been going towards Karachi as practiced, but the Fleet felt it had been located and got sidetracked into intercepting merchant ships and began a hunt for the Pakistan Fleet. By happenstance, Hunters from the OCU Jamnagar under Wing Cdr Pete Wilson attacked Karachi on 4 December morning and set the Kemari oil tanks on fire.

On 3rd night, INS Kiltan (Cdr Gopal Rao) was given command of a force with INS Katchall (Cdr K.N. Zadu) and ordered to close up with INS Nirghat (Lt Cdr I.J. Sharma), INS Nipat (Cdr Babru Yadav, K-25, Lt Cdr B.N. Kavina) and INS Veer (Lt Cdr O..P. Mehta). They were then put on their way to Karachi under shore control in Operation Trident. C-in-C Kohli was seen in the Maritime Operations Room at Bombay, fingers crossed, having let his killer dogs loose on Karachi with no air cover.

With speed in excess of 28 knots, the Osa missile boats, which offer minimum radar targets, approached Karachi in darkness after releasing tow and launched their Styx missiles on the enemy ships. Pakistani officers on duty in the control room at Karachi failed to realize that it was a seaborne attack. Assuming it was an air attack, the Pakistan defenders were confused, mesmerized and utterly in disarray to arrange for seaward defence. In the biggest naval battle since the Second World War, this Indian Task Force sank the Pakistani destroyers Khaibar (formerly HMS Cadiz) under Capt Naseem Malik, the minesweeper Muhafiz and a merchant ship off Karachi in the late hours of 4 December. One missile was fired landward.

Missile warfare entered the world’s naval vocabulary. All Indian commanding officers were decorated for their heroic sortie, which will long be remembered for it earned the Navy two Maha Vir Chakras and four Veer Chakras. 4 December is celebrated as Navy Day.

Not one of the Indian units which attacked Karachi received the slightest damage in the first major naval battle fought by the Indian Navy since Independence. What largely contributed to the big victory was the “daring and perfectly timed action” of the units of the Western Naval Command. Times London reported “Independent observers with long enough memories have compared the operation of 4/5 December with the sinking of British warships, Prince of Wales and Repulse by the Japanese off Singapore in 1941. The two fleets of the Indian Navy have bagged more than two warships but the kill is not as important as the element of surprise involved in the operations and the sense of shock it must have caused to the enemy”.

Operation Python

On 8 December, whilst the Fleet was still to flex its muscles, the second raid on Karachi was let loose in Operation Python. INS Trishul (F15, Captain K.M.V. Nair) and INS Talwar (Cdr. S.S. Kumar) were ordered to rendezvous with the missile boat INS Vinash (Lt Cdr Vijay Jerath) and proceed for a strike on Karachi. The missile attack sank one ship and set the Kemari oil tanks again on fire. There was euphoria in the Indian Navy, But, on 9 December, while the officers and men on board INS Khukri were tuned in to listen to the All India Radio news at 8.50 pm on the ship’s SRE (Sound Reproduction Equipment), while on an anti-submarine warfare mission to look out for a reported Pak submarine, the ship was hit by more than one torpedo, possibly two, fired from one of Pakistan Navy’s three newly acquired Daphne-class submarines, the Hangor (Cdr A. Tasneem) about 40 miles off Diu Head. Eighteen officers and 176 sailors perished as INS Kirpan nearby in company left the area to return with forces for rescue next day. In command of INS Khukri was Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla a 45-year old tall, strapping royal Navy-trained anti-submarine warfare specialist with earlier command experience of destroyer INS Rana and Second-in-Command of INS Krishna (the Kistna). One can picture him on the bridge of his ship, after realizing that there was no hope and forced to give the order “Abandon Ship’.

A famous broadcaster announced the sinking, saying “Captain Mulla was seen smoking a cigarette and gave his life jacket to another in the highest traditions of navies.”

Admiral SM Nanda issued a signal that officers must not go down with ships but return to fight another day with the experience.

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