Accession Number:

AD1028520

Title:

Weighted West, Focused on the Indian Ocean and Cooperating across the Indo-Pacific: The Indian Navy's New Maritime Strategy, Capabilities, and Diplomacy

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

CNA ANALYSIS AND SOLUTIONS ARLINGTON VA ARLINGTON United States

Personal Author(s):

• Limaye,Satu

Report Date:

2017-02-01

Pagination or Media Count:

68.0

Abstract:

This study examines how the Indian Navys new maritime strategy and missions, evolving capabilities, and vigorous diplomacy backed by Indias political leadership and Ministry of External Affairs are heralding a more cooperative and activist Indian navy in what India calls the Indo-Pacific region and what U.S. defense officials refer to as the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The Indian Navys focus will be on the country immediate neighbors in the Indian Ocean and strongly driven by its self-proclaimed imperatives e.g., maritime boundaries, energy trade, protection of overseas Indians and primary areas of geographic interest to Indias west. But a noteworthy emerging feature is Indias expansion of maritime outreach and engagement in the East Asian and Pacific regions. The salience of maritime issues in the East and South China Seas, Indias membership in mechanisms that could promote maritime cooperation, improved bilateral ties to regional countries, and the improvement of U.S.-India relations create opportunities for further Indian maritime engagement to its east with regional and extra-regional partners, including the United States.

Descriptors:

• India
• naval operations
• Foreign Policy
• military strategy
• DIPLOMACY

Subject Categories:

• Government and Political Science
• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE