New Delhi looks to play facilitator in Indian Ocean region

The New Economic Times ^ | 01/08/2010 | The New Economic Times

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

With Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters generating sonic booms over the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago on Sunday, even as the 3,500-km Agni-III missile created fireworks off the Orissa coast, India sent a strong strategic message across Bay of Bengal that it is ready to play the role of a security facilitator in the larger Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

India might not want to be seen as a regional supercop in the IOR, nor as the prime mover of a naval military bloc in the Asia-Pacific region . But yes, it has legitimate security concerns in the IOR, which falls in its strategic backyard, especially with China making strategic maritime moves in the region.

The endeavour to build “interoperability ” with other friendly Asia-Pacific maritime forces can be gauged from the fact that a “table-top exercise” conducted at the ongoing multilateral Milan conclave with 12 foreign navies revolved around the security challenges of dealing with the problems of piracy, gunrunning.

India may consider itself to be “a neutral player”in the entire power-play in the Asia-Pacific region, with the US seeking to “contain” China, but there is no getting away from the fact that it remains deeply concerned about Beijing’s rapid modernization of its armed forces.

India is now belatedly countering China’s massive build-up of military infrastructure all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control by raising two new infantry mountain divisions with 35,000 soldiers , basing Sukhois in the North-East and developing Agni-III and the still-to-tested 5,000-km Agni-V .

[Androcles]

Excellent - it’s good to see them increasingly playing to their weight.

[9YearLurker]

Yep. I think they’re weathering the Obama (’Pocky Stawn’) administration just like we are.

[Androcles]

Oh, I think it’s more than that. As well as a poor strategic environment, they’re learning from China and beginning to play the long game.