Oceans are highly important for global security, economic growth, and sustainable environment. Our oceans make up 97% of the world's water resources. This magnitude makes our earth appear as a blue planet from space. Oceans and seas provide half of the oxygen we need for life on this planet. Our seas contain 80% of all life forms, provide food for almost half of the world's population and are important resources for human mental and physical health. Oceans are involved in a complex web of economic interactions - the Blue Economy, sometimes also called Ocean Economy.
Indian Ocean in our region has immense important and is a major part of dominance game. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of five oceans of the world, covering 70.56 million square km, 19.8 % of the water surface. It is bounded by the Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. Its volume is 264 million square km .
The Indian Ocean region consists of 28 states, spans across three continents and covers 17.5 % of global land area. These 28 countries include 21 members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelies, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Besides these Brunei, Cambodia the Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Timor Leste and Vietnam are also its parts. It has 16.8 % of world’s proven oil reserves and 27.9% of proven natural gas reserves. The Indian Ocean is home to major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa and East Asia with Europe and Americas. These vital routes facilitate maritime trade in the Indian Ocean region, carry more than half of the world’s sea borne oil and 23 of the world’s top 100 container ports.
Bases of Countries at Indian Ocean Region
Chinese Pearls US diamonds Indian Nugs
Bangladesh Australia Andaman
Myanmar Bahrain Mauritius
Pakistan Diago Garcia Maldives’
Sri Lanka Djibouti
Egypt
Indonesia
Kenya
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Singapore
UAE
China held Hambantota port which is only 160 km from mainland India. Chinese ship Yuan Waug 5 arrival in Sri Lankan port is a matter of great concern for India. Indian strategic assets are on Chinese radar like Kalpakkam Nuclear Power, Kochi Southern naval Command and six Indian ports are under surveillance of China. China got Hambantota port on lease for 99 years. Bangladesh’s Chittagong, Pakistan’s Gwaradr and Karachi Deep Sea port, Mayanmar’s Kyoukphyu, Srilanka’s Hambantota, Kenya’s Lamupor, Tanzania’s Dar us Salam ports are Chinese String of Pearls . Alfred Maha said,” Whoever controls the Indian Ocean will dominate Asia.
Like China and India, United States of America also has stake in Indian Ocean Region .
U.S. Goals and Objectives
Under several past administrations, U.S. policy toward the Indo-Pacific has included the
Following goals and objectives:
Ø Shape the strategic dynamics in the IOR as needed to prevent Asia from being dominated by a single hegemon or coalition of powers that could threaten the
United States;
Ø Support U.S. friends and allies in the region and develop strategic and defense
Ø Relationships with regional partners to strengthen the U.S strategic standing in the region;
Ø Promote a rules-based order and norms that support regional stability;
Ø Protect U.S. access to energy supplies;
Ø Help maintain freedom of navigation on the high seas and through the strategic
Ø choke points of the Indo-Pacific to facilitate the flow of U.S. and global trade and energy resources and the transit of U.S. naval forces;
The United States has significant military assets in the Indian Ocean Region including , Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, which is the primary base of operations for U.S. Africa Command in the Horn of Africa, supports approximately 4,000 U.S. and allied military and civilian personnel. A U.S. Navy Support Facility is located on the British Indian Ocean Territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean south of India. The facility “provides logistic support to forces forward deployed to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf areas of responsibility (AOR).” There are approximately 2,500 U.S. and allied military and civilian personnel on Diego Garcia. Naval Support Activity in Bahrain is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) and the U.S. Fifth Fleet. Naval Support Activity Bahrain provides operational support to U.S. and coalition forces in the CENTCOM AOR. In addition to much of Central Asia and the Middle East, CENTCOM’s AOR includes the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea. The U.S. Pacific Command’s (PACOM) AOR extends across much of the Indian Ocean. The United States is also developing a rotational presence of up to 2,500 marines and aircraft near Darwin, on Australia’s northern coast, as part of its alliance relationship with Australia.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is now the largest Navy in the world. Chinese military appears to demonstrate a determined strategy in Beijing to develop a powerful blue water fleet. Both Chinese and outside naval experts speculate that the PLAN may have an Indian Ocean fleet in the near future. Supporting this possibility, multiple Chinese sources have started to articulate an emerging Indian Ocean strategy for the people Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). In 1999 there was not a single Peoples Liberation Army’s Navy port visit in the Indian Ocean region, however, since 2012 the PLAN has averaged 20 ports visits a year.
China is the only country to set up embassies in all six islands nations in the Indian Ocean. The strategic objectives of PLAN modernization over the past quarter century has been to achieve a force level capable of defending Chinese interests in East Asia and keeping Americans out of a Taiwan contingency. PLAN is now armed with over 100 advanced destroyers, frigates, and corvettes , have a long term plans to protect its strategic assets.
It seems that world power game has been speeded up, new alliances like China, Russia, Iran and Turkey has emerged to counter the designs of USA, India and Europe. Pakistan should keep an eye on these changes and develop its Baluchistan province with providing its people basic facilities, program of CPEC should be given top priorities, strengthen its NAVY and equipped it with modern weapons and training , youth must be given quality education compatible with modern needs, and all efforts must be done to get economic stability. A humble request that government, opposition and armed forces command sit together and give a strong narrative to nation that “ Whole Nation is United” and next twenty years must be spent for economic stability and advancement in technology.