Securing the Sea Lanes

Context: There is a need for India to coordinate with other like-minded countries to develop a comprehensive Underwater Domain Awareness strategy to counter Chinese expansion in the seas.

China’s advancement in surrounding seas :

• China’s activities in the Indian Ocean region:

• Chinese maritime research and survey vessels were interdicted in the Exclusive Economic Zone of India without our prior consent in 2018 and 2019. 

• India has legislation (Act No. 80/1976) that requires foreign marine scientific vessels to seek license prior to activities.

• PLA Navy (PLAN) intelligence-gathering ships have sailed Indian coast-line to gather information on naval facilities and ships.
• Survey missions: China has mounted at least six survey missions covering the waters between Indonesia and Sri Lanka in 2019-2020.
• Port related activities: The completion of Gwadar port and the use of the Ream port of Cambodia sustain naval deployments in the Indian Ocean. 

• For E.g. For collecting hydrographical data around the Andaman Islands and to monitor India’s submarine movements.
• The suspicion in activities: of the Chinese vessel about studying submarine routes from Australia into the South China Sea.
• Pattern of Denial and Obfuscation (complicated): China denied its intention to militarise the Spratly Islands but eventually acknowledged that they serve a military purpose
• Double standard: China justifies that its activities are legitimate under international law (Right to free passage). However, it explicitly seeks prior permission for others to enter its territorial seas.
• Plans to secure significant improved data in the seas :

• Sending Survey vessel: The Chinese may try to send another survey vessel without permission into our EEZ  possibly under naval escort.
• Underwater drones:They may deploy unmanned underwater drones in India's EEZ, while the mother vessel remains just outside. 
• Intelligence-gathering ships: China might sail PLAN intelligence-gathering ships along Indian coasts just outside the 12 nm limit on grounds that this is an innocent passage.

Way Forward: A Comprehensive Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) strategy

• Coordination between national security agencies: The navy, and the government departments responsible for the marine environment and disaster management.
• Collaboration with like-minded countries: Deepening of real-time information exchange, co-development of UDA monitoring devices and coordination in the patrolling of sea lanes .
• Adopting swarm tactics: by involving fishing communities that can be provided with the capacity and training to bock PLAN intelligence-gathering ships.