India Joins US-Led Navy Alliance to Take on China's PLA

Indias strategic autonomy is one of its biggest trends. It allows New Delhi to engage with diverse partners from Russia to the West. We work with all of them and here’s the latest example of that. Take a look at this picture. It is from April. These are Indian Navy commandos. They’re called Marcos, That is short for marine commandos. Last month, they completed a major operation. The operation was called Crimson Barracuda. It was a major drug bust. Indian commandos seized 940kg of narcotics. The mission was a success and Indian troops weren’t the only ones involved. They were working with an international coalition called the Combined Maritime Forces or CMF. Combined Maritime Forces navies from 43 countries are part of the CMF. This coalition protects 3.2 million square miles of international waters. This includes key regions from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and some parts of the Indian Ocean too. This CMF, this combined force is commanded by the US and the alliance is based out of Bahrain. So why is Indias participation news? Because usually India shies away from military alliances. But last year we saw a shift in N2023I joined the CMF. And this is different from traditional military alliances like NATO, where an attack on one member triggers a response from the entire alliance. That’s what NATO does. The CMF is more flexible. There are no political or military mandates. The members decide how much they want to get involved. Now India is actively engaging with them, keeping two goals in mind. The first one is the safety and security of sea lanes. And this is critical for India. Look at these numbers. 83% of Indias crude and 95% of trade comes through the sea. The Indian economy depends on sea lanes, so India must secure them. Deploy its Navy to boost deterrence against security threats like piracy and terrorism. That’s the first goal. The second goal is countering China. In the last decade, the Chinese Navy has significantly expanded in size, also in presence. Today, China has over 100 warships and submarines capable of operating in the Indian Ocean and this poses a direct challenge to India. There is increased surveillance of these waters. Experts say Chinas presence in the Indian Ocean is only increasing at any given time. There are at least three Chinese vessels in this region. Throughout the year, around 12 to 15 ships are deployed by China and recent events are proof. Last month, China deployed 3 vessels to the Indian Ocean. Beijing said. They were research vessels, vessels, research ships. But everyone knows that these vessels are used for intelligence gathering. These are spy ships. So India cannot afford to fall behind. It needs to respond. A strategic shift in the Navys approach is imperative. Collaborating with allies helps India to enhance deterrence and to fill gaps. You see, the Chinese Navy is the largest in the world. It has 370 ships and submarines in all 370. What about India? From 2014 to 2024, India added only four surface combatants. The fleet has increased from 25 to 29. And while India is taking steps to ramp up its arsenal, substantial upgrades will take time. In the interim, working with allies gives India more flexibility. It can have more targeted deployments and gain leverage over over China and key flash points like the South China Sea. In fact, earlier this week there was there was a significant development. India deployed 3 Indian warships in the South China Sea, a guided missile destroyer, a fleet tanker and an anti submarine Corvette. These three vessels docked in Singapore. Indian naval officers met with their local counterparts. There was a statement from New Delhi. It said two critical issues were discussed here. The maritime security landscape in the region and ways to deal with emerging threats. This is what they discussed. In recent months. The Indian Navy has set an example for the region with its proactive handling of the Red Sea crisis. By the month of March this year, the Indian Navy had conducted over a dozen operations and saved more than 100 lives. More engagements with like minded allies will only bolster Indias credentials as the net security provider in this region. 1st Post reports from the worlds second largest continent. Hello, I’m Alison LaGrange. A very warm welcome from Durban, South Africa. We get you the news and the newsmakers from Africa. South Africa goes to the polls on the 29th of May. I will track the election and bring you ground reports. Is it the end of the road for the African National Congress? And will former President Jacob Zuma stage a dramatic comeback? From elections to climate change to innovations and opportunities as the world’s attention shifts, we report from Africa, the heart of the global S Join me every weekday Live on 1st Post.