Geostrategic Importance of Indian Ocean

Geostrategic Importance of Indian nauticalThe Indian ocean region had become the strategic heartland of the 21st century, dislodging Europe and mating East Asia which adorned this position in the 20th centurythe developments in the Indian Ocean region were contributing to the advent of a less wolframern centric and a more multi-polar arena.-Donald L. Berlin, Head of Security Studies, Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu, HawaiiThe Growing Importance of IORThe Indian Ocean has emerged as a searing maritime space in the Asia-Pacific littoral in view of the transformed strategic, certification and economic significance of the region. The Indo-Asia-Pacific region is the greatest maritime-littoral space that has the largest concentration of population, resources, ontogeny economies, congested sea lanes, and contested territorial spaces. It is then real in a geo-political, geo-economic and geo-strategic sense1.The Indian Ocean is shell base to many stay points, such(prenominal) as the Straits of Hormuz, Straits of Malacca, Lombok and the Sunda Straits. Any disruption in traffic escape through these points can have disastrous consequences. The disruption of cogency flows in particular is a considerable security concern for littoral states, as a majority of their energy lifelines are sea-based. Since energy is critical in influencing the geo-political strategies of a nation, any turbulence in its supply has serious security consequences. Given the spiraling demand for energy from India, China and Japan, it is inevitable that the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and choke points of the region have become strategically important for these countries that they are extremely sensitive to their security2.The Indian Ocean and the states on its littoral are of significant and upgradeing importance. The region contains 1/3 of the worlds population, 25% of its landmass, 40% of the worlds embrocate and gas reserves. It is the locus of important international sea lines of communication (SLOCs). The region is home to most of the worlds Muslim population as well as India, one of the worlds likely rising powers. The Indian Ocean besides is home to the worlds two newest atomic weapons states, India and Pakistan, as well as Iran, which most observers believe has a robust program to acquire nuclear weapons3.The Oil FactorThe Indian Ocean has seen sharp maritime activity for the past 600 years, primarily for trade. While centuries ago, the motivation was for silk and spices, today it is for oil. Persian Gulf contains 65 per cent of the worlds proven reserves and accounts for more than half(a) of the worlds oil exports and almost all of Asia-Pacifics imports. Due to growth in global economy the world wide demand for oil imports from the gulf is expected to grow and this fact is most critical while considering geo strategic significance of Indian Ocean. Despite efforts by nations to diversify sources, disruption of oil supplies is bound to impact in earnest on national economies leading to inflation and widespread unemployment.The US, Europe, China, Japan, India and most of southwesterneast Asian nationsare heavily reliant on oil from the Gulf. In his declare of the Union address in Feb 2006, President Bush said that the nation was addicted to oil. U.S. gross oil imports from the Persian Gulf were 2.2 one thousand million bbl/d during 2006, accounting for 17 per centum of the US total net oil imports4. The importance of energy to India, China and Japan is also extensive. At current levels of consumption, the oil import dependence of India is expected to reach 82.2 percent by 2010 and 91.6 percent by 2020. In the case of China it will be 61 percent and 76.9 percent, while for rest of South Asia it will be 95.1 percent and 96.1 percent respectively5.Sea Lines of Communications(SLOCs)The economic development of a state is closely coupled to its trade and energy supply. Since most of the trade of the In dian Ocean littorals and the South Asian states is seaborne, SLOCs form the lifeline of these countries. According to World Bank estimates, in 1999 the world seaborne trade was pegged at 21,480 billion ton-miles it is expected to reach 35,000 billion ton-miles in 2010, and 41,800 billion ton-miles in 2014. The United Nations Conference on Trade and using (UNCTAD) Report, Review of Maritime Transport 2000, notes that world sea-based trade recorded its fourteenth consecutive annual increase, and Asias share of imports and exports was 26.1% and 18.8 % respectively6.To a military analyst, the SLOCs are related to the maritime instruments of power, and maritime geography becomes the pivot on which forces must be deployed. To a politician, on the other(a) hand, SLOCs signify the state of relations with countries located a commodious the sea route traversed, while for an economist it is just the shortest and most economical travel distance between two destinations. Similarly, for some na tions multilateral cooperation on SLOC security may mean a perceived intrusion into aspects of sovereignty. Thus the security of sea lanes requires comprehensive strategies encompassing differing perceptions and national interests of concerned states7.The Indian Ocean is home to important SLOCs and maritime choke points. A large volume of international long haul maritime cargo from the Persian Gulf, Africa and Europe overflys through this ocean. several(prenominal) of the primary items transported are energy products mainly oil and gas. Disruption in energy lifelines can also arise from patterns of trade flows. Imports to South Asia from West Asia habituate the Strait of Hormuz. According to EIA estimates, the Strait recorded a transit volume of 15.4 million barrels of oil per day in 1998. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz often cuts off Gulf supplies to the East altogether and also affects the West considerably. Similarly, the closure of the Straits of Malacca, through which nea rly 9.4 million barrels of oil per day flow (according to the EIA), can seriously threaten the economies of Southeast Asia and the energy intensive economies of China and Japan. Due to the geostrategic importance of Malacca Straits to almost all the South and Southeast Asian countries, any maritime contingency in this traffic congested region would have profound security ramifications.Since most of the trade of the Indian Ocean littorals and the South Asian states is seaborne, SLOCs are critical to these countries as well as to major energy consuming nations such as US, Europe, China and Japan. Exports from West Asia utilize the Strait of Hormuz. Equally strategically located are the eastern straits, Malacca, Sunda and Lombok-Makasser. One-third of the worlds trade and almost all of East Asias oil amounting nearly to 9.4 million barrels of oil per day pass through these straits.Protection of the sea-routes through the Indian Ocean becomes a strategic priority for many states. Americ a thus has maintained a massive military presence in the region, poised to do whatever necessary to maintain the choke points and the flow of regions essential energy supplies to the rest of the world. The stakes are so high that Pentagon has now drawn up plans to annihilate Irans military capability in three days8. strategical Importance of IOR for Extra Regional ForcesUnited States of America. For almost 200 years the British exercised predominant military power in the Indian Ocean by establishing bases at key choke points and along critical sea lines. In the 1960s however British Government decided to drastically cut the British presence east of Suez. During the succeeding years the Indian Ocean became a distinct area attracting international attention due to inter and intra state instabilities in the states bordering the region , prominent being the Iran-Iraq war. In fight backion to this instability both the superpowers started deploying naval forces on a regular basis in the Indian Ocean to ensure their energy security9. The dramatic event of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, led to US establishing its naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean to react quickly to a situation threatening access to the oil resources in the region. This was the beginning of the so called super power rivalry in the IOR. Successive US administrations have followed up these developments with a vigorous search for facilities across Indian Ocean and have met with considerable success in getting such facilities in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia , Kenya and Singapore. Their base in Diego Garcia is however the key element in providing the US capability to act at relatively short notice in the region10. By the end of 1980 US established a Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) at Diego Garcia. On 01 Jan 83 RDJTF was converted into entire fledged strategic command and was named the Central Command (CENTCOM). Hundreds of B 52 bomber flights were flown by US from thi s base during 1990-91 war against Iraq11.Russia. The initial deployment of Soviet navy in the Indian Ocean was governed by need for a reciprocal arrangement with littoral states that would assist its attempt to break through Western containment of its long southern flank. Soviets developed their facilities in Ethiopia and South Yemen close to Bab-al- Mandeb12. In 1979 the Soviets signed an agreement with Vietnam for a 25 year lease of base at Cam Ranh true laurel close to Malacca straits. Russian government continued the lease of Cam Ranh Bay primarily for SIGINT activities in South China Sea. At the end of 25 year period, Russia decided to withdraw from Cam Ranh Bay. Its presence in other erstwhile bases is also on the decline.Australia. Vital to Australias economic well being is the security of maritime trade, particularly in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The worlds principal trading blocs, USA, EU, Japan/Korea/China/East Asia, comprise mercantile trading nations dependen t on Middle East oil to sustain their economies. Australias economy is tied to these principal trading blocs13. Besides straddling vital sea-lines for naval and commercial mobility Southeast Asia has always provided Australia the strategic defence-in-depth for its security. Post-Cold War, Australia rushed to forge new security bonds in the sub region to augment its existing Five-Power Defence Agreement (FPDA) with Malaysia and Singapore. This caused apprehensions, but its proactive stance and curiously its leadership role during the 1999 East-Timor crisesdemonstrated a commitment to the sub-region. However, the perception of Australias pro-West character since the beginning of the 20th century has led to Islamic fundamentalists targeting its interests. Its interests thus converge with that of other concerned powers to combat non-state maritime threats in Southeast Asia.Japan. Japans proactive role in Southeast Asia is vital for its global status and economic interests, since the su b-region is the source and transit of its energy lifeline. Primarily due to this reason, it is averse to Chinese domination in the South China Sea14. Despite its potent maritime forces however, Japan has been otiose to assist the sub-region to secure the sea-lines against nontraditional threats due to the constraint posed by Article 9 of Japanese Constitution, which does not permit its military to have a collective security arrangement. Japans commitment to Southeast Asia has thus been limited to financial and technological assistance for navigational safety and prevention of pollution. Japan is now actively considering a Constitutional review to break free from the legal handicap, including in terms of collective-security. This would make Japan more militarily assertive and enable it to safeguard its vital security interests in Southeast Asia.Natural Resource WealthThe Indian Ocean is known to contain natural resources, the significance of which has yet to be fully determined15. Other than the oil in the gulf, the Indian Ocean holds 65 per cent and 31 per cent of worlds strategic raw minerals and gas respectively. enormous occurrences of hydrocarbons are being trapped in the seaward deep bedrocks of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Australia. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and deep sea polymetallic nodules are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Bay of Bengal is known to hold an immense wealth of resources in terms of fossil fuels, minerals and fish stocks. The discoveries of long gas reserves in the Krishna-Godavari basin has added to the known potential of the area. The AN island chain itself is known to bear substantial hydrocarbon reserves. It is only a matter of time that offshore platforms, similar to those at the Bombay High, would sprout in these waters. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fish ing fleets from Russia,Japan,South Korea, andTaiwanalso exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly forshrimpandtuna. The endangered marine species include thedugong,seals,turtles, andwhales16.