MILITARISING ANDAMANS: THE COSTS AND THE BENEFITS

WHY IN NEWS:

• The Ladakh stand-off with China has catalysed India’s efforts to strengthen its military presence at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI)
• New Delhi recently moved to expedite plans for basing additional military forces at the Islands.

BACKGROUND:

• The idea of militarising the Andaman Islands isn’t new.
• When India first began developing the ANI in the mid-1980s, Malaysia and Indonesia feared that India would use its military facilities in the ANI to dominate its region, and project power east of Malacca.
• In time, New Delhi’s willingness to keep its security presence at the strategic islands to a minimum assured many in Asia that its motives were benign.
• After the Kargil War of 1999, Andaman and Nicobar Islands received more attention.
• In 2001, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) were created. It is the first and only tri-service theater command of the Indian Armed Forces, based at Port Blair
  • It aims to safeguard India's strategic interests in Southeast Asia and the Strait of Malacca by increasing rapid deployment of military assets in the region.
  • It conducts bi-annual coordinated patrols (CORPATs) with the navies of Thailand and Indonesia, the annual SIMBEX maritime exercise with Singapore, and the biennial Milan multilateral naval exercise.
• In 2016, New Delhi and Tokyo discussed a joint project to upgrade infrastructure in the ANI, including a proposal to install a sound surveillance sensors (SOSUS) chain to improve India’s underwater domain awareness.
• The plan was to integrate India’s undersea sensor chain with the existing US-Japan “Fish Hook” SOSUS network meant specifically to monitor China’s submarine activity in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean Rim.
• In the present times, amid growing threats from China, India is open to the idea of militarising the islands.

• By 2020, India is placing ship-based nuclear missile system, fleet of naval warships and Landing Platform Docks (LPDs)
• There are several air and naval bases under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

BENEFITS:

• Helps in gaining geostrategic advantages:
  • Accounting for 30% of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Islands have been acknowledged as a distinctive strategic asset in the 21st century
  • Labelled as the ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’, the islands provide India with a springboard to expand its strategic frontiers to its maritime east.
  • Building strategic assets in islands are vital for the success of India’s SAGAR doctrine and to counter China’s String of Pearls strategy.

• India could play a significant role in controlling access:
  • The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in this strategically important zone, meaning that India with its growing naval capabilities could play a significant role in controlling access.
  • The Ten Degree Channel (also called Great or Grand Channel) within India's EEZ is world's busiest shipping trade route which also connects to very narrow and contiguous Malacca and Singapore straits.
  • This route is considered world's biggest strategic chokepoint in military terminology, e.g. India and allies could potentially impose a blockade in case of dispute with China whose economy significantly depends on the export trade through this route.
  • Safety, security and freedom of navigation in this area are vital for the global economy.

• Countering China in IOR:
  • China has also proposed to develop the Kra canal (Thai Canal), which would connect Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand.
  • Andaman’s proximity to it can act as a significant leverage for India in ensuring control over the Indian Ocean region.

• India can act as a net security provider in the region:
  • Increased military assets in ANI would help in to prevent smuggling, piracy, drug and gun trafficking, poaching and illegal immigration in the region and especially in the Malacca Strait.

• Boost to our ‘Act East’ policy
  • Strategic assets in ANI could become an important element of India’s “Act East Policy” of engaging with countries in the region east of India.
  • The proximity of ANI to Southeast Asian region enables India to forge friendly relations with its ASEAN neighbours

• QUAD force multiplier:
  • Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), a strategic dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and USA, is aimed at countering the risk posed to the trade and security of navigation and nations in and around this region.
  • QUAD nations continue to hold regular military exercise in Bay of Bengal, such as Exercise Malabar
  • Military assets in ANI can act as a QUAD force multiplier

• Protection of Exclusive Economic Zone:
  • The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) suffers from the problem of piracy.
  • Militarization of ANI is guarantor of the safety and security of exclusive economic zone of India, which also lies in the vicinity of EEZs of several other nations including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

• Crucial for a robust Indo-Pacific Strategy:
  • Strategic assets in ANI could be used as a basis for Indian maritime power projection into the Indo-Pacific and even beyond into the south-west Pacific.

• Economic advantages:
  • Strategic assets in ANI aid India to provide a primary infrastructure for building trans-shipment hub at Car Nicobar. It could potentially be a strategic game-changer, rivalling the ports of Singapore or Colombo.
  • Security is the primary infrastructure for economic activities. Hence the economic potential of ANI (tourism, fisheries, oil & gas, tidal and wind energy) can be better tap if robust security architecture is build.

• Security for our Port-development led encirclement:
  • To enhance the regional connectivity, trade and to protect the Strait of Malacca channel, India is developing several strategic ports in the IOR, namely Port of Chittagong in Bangladesh with rail connectivity to Tripura, Port of Mongla in Bangladesh, Sittwe Port as part of Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, Sabang deep-sea port under India–Indonesia strategic military and economic partnership
  • Building military assets in ANI helps in securing our port infrastructure

• To check ‘sea denial’ and ensure ‘sea control’:
  • India’s sea denial strategy is predominantly oriented towards denying Beijing’s Sea Fleet an operational domain in the Indian Ocean.
  • Military assets in Andaman and Nicobar Islands can assist that strategy by further contributing to the Indian Navy’s maritime predominance in the eastern Indian Ocean region and its influence beyond the Malacca Strait

CHALLENGES:

• Antagonising China:
  • While China’s presence in the Indian Ocean is growing, Beijing hasn’t so far militarised key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) outposts in the Bay of Bengal (Hambantota, Chittagong and Kyaukpyu).
  • If New Delhi pushes for greater military presence in the ANI, Beijing could well seek military access in friendly Bay countries.

• Affect peace in Indian Ocean Region:
  • Turning ANI into a strategic-military garrison would militarise the littoral states and disrupt Indian Ocean as a zone of peace.

• May portray the image of ‘big brother’:
  • It is not uncommon for India to be vilified as the ‘Big Brother’ by many of its neighbours in South Asia and South-East Asia.

• Lack of reciprocity in India’s bilateral logistics agreements:
  • The Indian navy’s plans to offer logistical support to partner navies does not include its ANI facilities.
  • Four years after signing a logistics pact with the United States, its navy ships still have no access the ANI.
  • France, Singapore and Australia — India’s other logistics partners — too haven’t had their warships repaired or replenished at Indian island facilities.
  • With New Delhi unwilling to open up its island bases to foreign warships, observers say India’s logistics arrangements haven’t performed to potential.

• Threat of losing autonomy:
  • Operating sensitive equipment with foreign partners in ANI might involve sharing of critical undersea data with foreign collaborators. This may impinge our strategic autonomy

• Ecological concerns:
  • Building military infrastructure could devastate the fragile ecology of the Andaman which is already facing significant damage from the climate crisis.

WAY FORWARD:

• Keeping in mind the strategic location of ANI and growing ambitions of China, strengthening collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners, especially QUAD members must be a priority for India.
• However, the downsides of offering foreign navies access to its island facilities must be taken into account.
• Militarising ANI will aid India’s strategic capabilities, but such development should not come at the cost the exploitation of biodiversity and indigenous people.
• The final decision should be based on a weighing of costs and benefits and changing dynamics of the region.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. Explain the importance of building strategic assets in Andaman and Nicobar islands to pursue India’s geopolitical agenda in Asia-Pacific?