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naval cooperation: a view from india
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include, but are not restricted to, maritime security dialogues, seminars, goodwill
visits, combined exercises, exchange of observers, disaster management, humanitarian
assistance and sports and adventure activities. Such cooperation may also include the
provision of special rights and privileges to partners such as facilities for operational
turnaround, rest and recreation and training. Cooperation at these levels takes place
only when and where there is a convergence of common minimum interests.
Why Do Navies Cooperate?
Oceans are a primary source of food, minerals, energy and transportation in the world,
all of which are prerequisites to national well being for littoral countries. Increasingly,
nations are being confronted with threats, other than war, both at sea and from the
sea, which are in conflict with their national interests. Today, the maritime challenges
faced by nations include:
• Increase in illegal activities along with the progressive growth of
legitimate maritime activities.
• Manifold growth in ocean use that exceeds the carrying capacity of the
oceans, causing pollution of the marine environment.
• Horrific changes in the world and ocean environment, leading to
increased loss of life and property from natural disasters.
• Potential for conflict in the quest to demarcate imaginary lines at sea
to claim sovereignty over ocean resources.
Most nations appreciate that the vast and porous nature of the seas makes ‘constructive
engagement’ inevitable in the current times. As Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister
Mr Tony Tan has eloquently explained, ‘individual state action is not enough. The
oceans are indivisible and maritime security threats do not respect boundaries’. 6 Since
bigger maritime powers are more vulnerable to disruptions, they tend to be at the
forefront of consortia supplying security to them. The ‘Global Maritime Partnership
Initiative’ (proverbially called ‘1000 ship Navy’) of the US Navy is aimed at achieving
peace and order throughout the world’s maritime domain through new levels of naval
and maritime cooperation. The Asia-Pacific region, beset by maritime sources of
international dispute and crime, is host to a vast number of security constructs videlicet
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in
Asia (ReCAAP), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) at the Track I level, Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific at
the Track II level and Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) and Indian Ocean
Naval Symposium (IONS) at the naval level. In addition, dedicated anti-piracy patrols
namely, Malacca Strait Patrols carried out by the littoral states Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia and Thailand exemplify the advanced level of cooperation attained in the