| MALABAR EXERCISES – SHOWING MILITARY PROWESS IN THE SUBCONTINENT By Satheessan Kumaaran |
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The recent military exercises carried out by major powers in the Indian Ocean, south of India, in the Arabian Sea, in the Palk Straits, and in the Bay of Bengal, during the post-cold war period, are not meant as threats to other nations. These are only routine show of strength and pose no security threat to the 1.4 billion people in South Asia who aspire to live in peace and prosperity.
India leads in SAARC The first perceived threat is that of the eight countries in South Asia, which comprise of SAARC, who have had enough of social and economic suffering in the last century, as a left-over of colonialism. This was only a follow-up of administrative control by conquerors, Sultans and Europeans, who managed to decide the fate of the people of South Asia for more than 1,000 years. South Asian problems have become the focus of the global community, given the war-ravaged Afghanistan’s membership in SAARC and Pakistan’s military regime. Most recently, the US have only added fuel to the fire, the proclaimed ‘war against terrorism’ since 2001 in order to fight against so-called Islamic terrorists. In fact, geographically, apart from Afghanistan, Myanmar and even Iran are considered countries in South Asia, though the latter two are not SAARC members. In the post-colonial post cold-war period SAARC region, with its booming economy and improvements in education and technology, is indeed making headway. Though India maintains a brotherly relationship with other countries in the region, all the other countries, however, feel that they are not treated equally by this ‘giant elephant.’ These countries feel that India is acting with a ‘big brother attitude’ toward other countries in the region. India and Bangladesh India had played a predominant role in the liberation of East Pakistan, and what is now more popularly known as Bangladesh. It was the decision of the late Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, to help liberate the Bengali people of modern Bangladesh, who share the same language as the people of West Bengal. Deep religious differences had caused the Bengali population and the modern-day Pakistanis, who are mostly Muslims, to seek liberation from federal India in 1947. The two countries were then called East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now Pakistan). The ongoing suppression of the Muslim Bengalis caused them to seek the help of their Hindu brethren in the province of West Bengal, India. Due to the influx of refugees from East Pakistan into India and the protests of the provincial government and the people of West Bengal, Indira Gandhi had then no choice but to drive out the Pakistani (West Pakistan) armed forces and liberate the Muslim Bengalis. Bangladesh gained independence from West Pakistan in 1971. During this war, India was supported by the then-the then Soviet Union (now Russia), while West Pakistan was supported by the United States. India and Iraq In the post-cold war period, especially after the Soviet Union broke apart and also became dependent on the democracies of the world, especially the United States and Britain, India also changed her strategic partner and embraced the friendship of the United States. During the war with the Iraqis in the early 1990s, the then US President George Bush, Sr. failed to compromise with the Indian government, led by Rajiv Gandhi. Gandhi and the Indian Congress Party disliked the American footprint in the global arena. Hence, Gandhi did not allow US planes or warships to use Indian waters or aerospace. It was then that Pakistan and Sri Lanka came forward to offer their aerospace and ports to American diplomats and intelligence agents. However, it is still unclear whether the then government did allow refueling of a US fighter jet in Indian land. India liberalized Circumstances changed dramatically after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in early 1990’s. Indian diplomats and politicians, especially economic experts, Mr. Chidambaram and Dr. Manmohan Singh, played critical roles in influencing Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao to garner American support designed to empower India economically. India, thus, liberalized its economy and became an open market for foreign goods. In return, the United States and other major economic powers allowed Indian firms to set foot on their soils. That, in turn, resulted in an increase in mutual understanding between India and the United States. Military ties strengthens Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in 1974, was instrumental in beginning research into missiles and nuclear arms, research that materialized into nuclear testing in 1998, under the leadership of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP), led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During this time, the relationship between India and the United States soured. The relationship equation changed, however, during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York. The United States understood very well that it could not win a war in Asia without the support of India and Pakistan. India, after all, is home to the largest Muslim population and Pakistan is a natural ally in the war against Al Qaeda because sectors of the Pakistani population support Al Qaeda, with whom they share cultural and linguistic ties. Nehru’s dream materialized As the American allied forces forged closer economic and military ties with India, India did not forget that Jawaharlal Nehru had also aspired to build a strong and powerful navy, referred to as ‘blue water soldiers’. The Indian Congress Party, which came to power after the demise of Nehru, followed the policy of Nehru, but with limited resources. After the 9/11 incident in New York, Indian lawmakers took the policy of Nehru even more seriously and, as a result, began to modernize the Indian navy by the adoption of sophisticated, modern weapons. During the last five years, the Bush administration has slowly lifted sanctions on dual-use and military sales and permitted security cooperation with India, thereby reversing a host of policies imposed in the wake of India's 1998 nuclear tests. This ‘under-the-radar’ courtship culminated in July 2005 with a so-called nuclear deal, under which the United States agreed to support India's civilian nuclear program. With this step, the United States exponentially increased its strategic bet. India is the top buyer of American and Russian arms For the United States, India is a potential market for exporting arms, as it is the largest arms importer in the developing world. It is estimated that India spends about $15 billion in weapons every year, a figure expected to rise to $50 billion by 2015. India spent $5.7 billion in arms imports last year, almost twice as much as the next largest importer, Saudi Arabia ($2.7 billion) and significantly more than China ($2.2 billion). The rapid growth in Indian arms imports has fueled intense competition among exporters for market share. Russia remains the largest seller to India, providing 75 percent of Indian arms imports, including two MiG-29K fighter wings for India's aircraft carriers, the converted Russian ship Admiral Gorshkov and the indigenously-built ‘air-defense ship’. India is also developing closer ties with other international arms suppliers. For example, as part of a $3.9 billion naval modernization program, India completed a deal to build six Scorpene submarines with the assistance of French and Spanish designers. Three submarines in this project will include a MESAM air-independent propulsion system, an apparatus that triples the time submarines can remain underwater. The figures clearly illustrate the ways in which India and the Unites States can increase their military ties. Role of Indian immigrants The United States also feels that India is a natural ally because both the countries are the world’s largest democracies. Moreover, the United States is home to more than 20 million Indian descendents. Indians are performing well in the US economy, especially in the field of information technology. Indian descendents own thousands of software firms in the United States, and the United States is also buying software products from Indian firms in India. Many American firms, including IBM and CISCO, have set-up their base in India. These developments attest to the growing relationship and ties between the two countries. Growing naval exercises in the Indian Ocean In this context, the US navy conducted exercises in the Arabian Sea, Palk Straits, Bay of Bengal, or South China Sea. The Americans certainly have vested military and economic interests in the region. New Delhi also benefits from such military exercises in the region, even though there is dislike of the American presence in the region. India has no option but to cooperate with the United States in order to acquire a hands-on experience with American weapons. As for the collective benefits, countries that are major naval powers meet and conduct exercises, which they have named ‘Operation Malabar’. Operation Malabar The operation name code ‘Malabar’ is the name of India's southwest coast, which lies on the narrow coastal plain of the Karnataka and Kerala states, between the Western Ghats range and the Arabian Sea. The coast runs from the south of Goa to Cape Comorin on the tip of south India. That does not apply to the coastal areas of Eastern India, which lie in the Bay of Bengal. Because a new name code would definitely attract the Chinese, the same name used when these exercises were conducted in the Arabian Sea in past years is being reused. It is learnt that the same name when kept in order will help to scale down the military maneuvers in the Bay of Bengal and the Palk Straits. Malabar Military exercises in the near past The Malabar naval exercises, which resumed in 2002, after an interruption in the wake of India’s 1998 nuclear tests demonstrates the ways in which military ties have increased over the years. During the past four years, Malabar has developed from a set of basic maneuvers to one of the most sophisticated bilateral military exercises conducted by the United States. One may recall that Malabar 2002 consisted of basic passing exercises among naval vessels, personnel exchange, antisubmarine exercises, and replenishment-at-sea maneuvers as compared to latter years. In 2003 and 2004, the military show of strength expanded to include advanced American platforms, such as the Alexandria, a Los Angeles-class, fast-attack submarine, and the P3-C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. This upgrade permitted both sides to engage in submarine familiarization, a key capability for antisubmarine warfare collaboration. The difficulty of the exercises also increased to include ‘visit, board, search and seize’ operations against suspected smugglers, a key capability for participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative and cross-deck helicopter landings. The September 2005 Malabar exercise featured an even more impressive leap in capabilities. Two aircraft carriers, the Nimitz and India's Viraat, were seen participating in the exercises as never before. During a month of operations, American and Indian forces collaborated on everything from a joint diving salvage operation to a 24-hour ‘war at sea’ scenario, in which mixed formations of American and Indian forces faced off. The inclusion of aircraft carriers in the war-at-sea scenario also increased communications requirements among the participating vessels. Malabar 2006, which began on October 25, lasted until November 5 and was conducted off the Southwest coast of India in the Arabian Sea. The purpose of the multinational exercise, which focused on a number of naval mission areas, was to strengthen ties between American, Canadian, and Indian forces and to enhance the cooperative security relationship between the nations involved. The forces worked together in a variety of functional skill areas, including force protection drills, formation steaming, coordinated surface fire support, amphibious landing, live-fire events for attached aircraft, torpedo firing events, and anti-submarine warfare training. Malabar 2007 – 02, however, is slightly different from past exercises because it was conducted in the Bay of Bengal under the same name used in the previous operations conducted in the Malabar coastal areas in the Arabian Sea. Moreover, it is important that this time five nations took part - India, the United States, Australia, Japan, and Singapore -, all of which are so-called democracies. By inducting Singapore, India and the United States clearly sent a message to China that they are not against China. It is not new for Australia to cooperate with the United States because they have worked together on many occasions, including the fight against terrorism in the Middle East. India, Japan, and the United States, however, are a real threat to China. This time, the exercise was conducted nearly 350 kilometers southwest of the Andaman Islands. The United States sent two aircraft carriers, the Nimitz and the Kitty Hawk, a fleet of missile cruisers and destroyers, a nuclear submarine, and various aircraft. The exercise began on August 4 and concluded on August 9. Nearly 20,000 uniformed soldiers, 30 ships, 200 fighter jets, and a nuclear-powered submarine participated in this event, designed to practice anti-piracy and anti-gun-running drills. China fears Indian, Japanese, and American military ties The military exercises off the coasts of India has been closely watched by China, amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear programme, which is regarded by Washington and its Western allies as a covert atomic weapons drive. Though Iran does not fear this year’s operation due to its geographic presence, China, however, is worried. Beijing wants to spread its influence in the Indian Ocean region and has plans for a blue water navy. With the focus shifting from land-centric forces to the building of naval-centric capabilities, China is tracking the war games more intently than any other country. China tried, through its contacts in India, especially through the Community Party of India, to exert pressure on the Indian government to stop working with the American military. These efforts failed, for they fell on deaf ears; the Indian government, led by Manmohan Singh, succeeded in all its efforts to cooperate with the United States, in order to attain what India really wants to attain from the maneuvers. India-China ties India and China went to the battlefield over a border dispute in 1962. China won the war. In the aftermath, India has provided shelter to the Dalai Lama, the head of de facto Tibet. China considers Tibet part of China, but the Dalai Lama claims that Tibet is a sovereign nation, has always been a sovereign nation historically, and was invaded by China. Now, the western countries and India maintains silence over the issue, but the case is still unsolved, and these countries always support the Dalai Lama in his desire to liberate Tibet from Chinese occupation. The issue is currently on hold because both India, home to over 1.1 million people, and China, home to over 1.3 million people, in their common aspirations to become economic superpowers, are working together closely to empower their countries economically. Both have agreed to end their border disputes through peaceful means, and both promised to end all their problems through talks. That, however, does not mean that India has given its sovereignty to China or vice versa. India has made friends in the western world, and China believes the western world cannot do China any harm because the Chinese economy is important to western economies. India, nevertheless, is working closely with anti-Chinese forces, such as Japan and the United States. The United States doubts China’s strategic intentions and believes Americans could sow instability in the region. Strategic affairs experts point out that the United States wants to expand its global reach by striking greater maritime cooperation with India, which is increasingly looking at the Indian Ocean region as its area of responsibility. Hence, the joint exercise is a manifestation of the strengthening military linkages between India and the United States. It is also designed to remind China of its own naval limitations. China’s vested interests in the Indian Ocean China, for its part, has stepped up engagement with Myanmar as part of its efforts to gain access to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. From the naval bases of the Indian navy in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India is closely monitoring Chinese military activities in Myanmar’s Coco Islands. China has also invested heavily in the construction of Gwadar port in Pakistan, at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, and is planning to open a naval base in the Maldives. It is no secret that China is studying how to manufacture aircraft carriers, for a power projection far into the ocean. It is also developing land-attack cruise missiles, which can be fired from naval platforms, and an inventory of anti-ship cruise missiles. In addition, China is working closely with the Sri Lankan government; China is the leading arms supplier to Sri Lanka, which uses the arms to fight the Tamil Tigers in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. With so much focus on building a robust marine force, naval exercises like Malabar will continue to stay on China’s radar. There is no doubt that China is trying to develop great influence in the Indian Ocean, while India, as a superpower in the Indian Ocean, has great military capabilities. India, in order to keep China at bay, must embrace other naval powers, such as the United States, Japan, and Britain. Given its proximity to the Indian Ocean, India can spread its influence around the Indian Ocean more easily than the Chinese. China could have influence in the Pacific or South China Sea, but India too wants to have great influence over the Malacca Straits because India is working closely with many Southeast and East Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan. India looks farther east Indian has started looking farther east in the military show of strength. And now Singapore and Indian armies will hold joint artillery exercises at Deolali, near Nasik in Maharashtra, in the latter part of October 2007. The Singapore Army will be represented by an over 100-member contingent. In this context, the visiting Singapore Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean called on the Defense Minister A K Antony in Delhi and the two sides discussed matters of mutual interest. Defense ties between the two countries have been growing recently. During the visit of Singapore’s Permanent Secretary of Defense, Chiang Chie Foo to New Delhi recently, the two countries signed an agreement on conducting joint training and exercises between the Indian Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Singapore Navy had already participated in the five nation Malabar 2007 naval exercises, hosted by India in the Bay of Bengal off Andaman & Nicobar islands between September 4-9, 2007, which was also represented by the navies of the US, Japan and Australia. A contingent of over 100 soldiers from the Singapore Army will be holding a training exercise at Deolali, near Nasik in Maharashtra. South Asia as a developed region India is trying to embrace all the oceans of the world with the sophisticated technology of a great super power; hopefully, this objective does not bring tensions and great depression to South Asia, where people, among a population of over 1.4 million, still starve to death and face natural disasters and diseases like HIV/Aids. If countries in South Asia work toward peace, without viewing their neighbors or other powers as enemies, the region has a great potential of becoming a developed region within Asia. South Asia was home to a few of the earliest civilizations, including Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The region introduced four great religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism - and great contributions in philosophy. Hopefully, the states comprising all eight SAARC members, in order to bring peace and prosperity to the region, will embrace peace, eschew war-mongering attitudes, and focus their efforts on building mutual cooperation among all the states of South Asia. |
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