ID :
39663
Thu, 01/08/2009 - 23:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/39663
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PM seeks strategies to counter terror threats from sea
Ezhimala (Kerala), Jan 8 (PTI) Against the backdrop of
Pak-based terrorists using sea route for the Mumbai strikes,
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said the country
faces such threats not only in the Arabian Sea but also in the
Indian Ocean and there was need for credible strategies to
counter them.
The Mumbai attacks have highlighted the need for
heightened vigilance and response to asymmetric threats from
the sea, he said adding "we face such threats not only in the
Arabian Sea but also in the Indian Ocean".
Opening the Indian Naval Academy here, about 40 km
from Kannur on the Arabian Sea coast in the southern state of
Kerala, he said "there is a marked increase in the attempts by
various terrorist and other groups to use the blue waters
around India for nefarious purposes. This is a matter of
concern.
"It is essential for the Navy, Coast Guard and the
intelligence agencies to coordinate their efforts much more
closely. We need to develop credible strategies to counter all
threats from the sea."
Maintaining that Indian Navy must have a much greater
role in safeguarding the country's vital security interests,
he said the emerging maritime security environment greatly
enhances Navy's responsibilities.
He said the importance of the Navy in safeguarding
India's vital interests has become paramount and there can
thus be no doubt that the Indian Navy must be the most
important maritime power in this region.
"On its part the government will take all necessary
measures to ensure that the Coast Guard and the Navy are fully
equipped to protect the seas and oceans around us," he said.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Union Defence
Minister A K Antony, Naval Chief Sureesh Mehta were among
those present on the occasion. The Prime Minister released a
postal cover to commemorate the occasion.
Singh said India has a coastline of over 7,600 km with
over 1,200 island territories spread across the Indian Ocean.
"We have a large Exclusive Economic Zone. We have a
vital interest in the Indian Ocean and a close relationship
with countries of the Indian Ocean Rim and specially the Gulf
region," he said.
Singh said that India should also recognise that there
would be other competing interests whose maritime presence in
the sphere of "our interest and our influence will have to be
carefully monitored".
Another key role the Indian Navy will play, he said,
would be the safeguard the sea-lanes of communication, through
which pass the bulk of India's energy supplies and sea-borne
trade.
As India's oil and gas imports increase, demands on
the Navy would become further pronounced. "There is an
inextricable link between our economic resurgence and our
maritime power," he said.
The Prime Minister said as economic power shifts to
Asia, the demand for energy and the volume of trade passing
through the Indian Ocean region would expand rapidly. This
shift is being accompanied by the emergence of a host of
threats that travel through the oceans.
"These include the transportation of weapons of mass
destruction, small arms and other weaponry through the oceans
to the hinterland; the threat of piracy in international
waters; organised crime; drug trafficking; environmental
degradation; rising sea levels; illegal migration and human
smuggling," he said.
"The sea is increasingly becoming relevant in the
context of India's security interests and we must re-adjust
our military preparedness to this changing environment," Singh
said.
He said there was an ambitious plan for modernisation
of the navy to make it emerge as a three-dimensional force.
Singh said more and more resources were being spent
on Naval modernisation and research and development for new
ship design and battle space dominance through information
networking.
Commending the role of Navy in combating piracy in
the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, the Prime
Minister said the action has been widely acknowledged across
the world.
He said traditional naval powers continued to rely
upon their sea control assets while emerging powers were
developing sea denial capabilities.
Noting that the ongoing revolution in military affairs
and network-centric warfare has impacted on the navies, he
said all this led to the emergence of a new international
maritime order, one that is characterised by a great deal of
flux.
"This will have major implications for India," he said
adding that the Indian Navy will be required to have
capabilities to perform in the entire spectrum of conflict
ranging from military missions and strategic deterrence to
humanitarian assistance.
Observing that naval power was not just about fighting
wars, Singh said it had an integral role to play in
international diplomacy, commerce, energy supplies,
exploitation of sea resources and ensuring order at sea.
He said Indian Navy has got greater exposure by
holding joint exercises with several countries in recent years
and enhanced its ability to respond to common security
threats. PTI
Pak-based terrorists using sea route for the Mumbai strikes,
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said the country
faces such threats not only in the Arabian Sea but also in the
Indian Ocean and there was need for credible strategies to
counter them.
The Mumbai attacks have highlighted the need for
heightened vigilance and response to asymmetric threats from
the sea, he said adding "we face such threats not only in the
Arabian Sea but also in the Indian Ocean".
Opening the Indian Naval Academy here, about 40 km
from Kannur on the Arabian Sea coast in the southern state of
Kerala, he said "there is a marked increase in the attempts by
various terrorist and other groups to use the blue waters
around India for nefarious purposes. This is a matter of
concern.
"It is essential for the Navy, Coast Guard and the
intelligence agencies to coordinate their efforts much more
closely. We need to develop credible strategies to counter all
threats from the sea."
Maintaining that Indian Navy must have a much greater
role in safeguarding the country's vital security interests,
he said the emerging maritime security environment greatly
enhances Navy's responsibilities.
He said the importance of the Navy in safeguarding
India's vital interests has become paramount and there can
thus be no doubt that the Indian Navy must be the most
important maritime power in this region.
"On its part the government will take all necessary
measures to ensure that the Coast Guard and the Navy are fully
equipped to protect the seas and oceans around us," he said.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Union Defence
Minister A K Antony, Naval Chief Sureesh Mehta were among
those present on the occasion. The Prime Minister released a
postal cover to commemorate the occasion.
Singh said India has a coastline of over 7,600 km with
over 1,200 island territories spread across the Indian Ocean.
"We have a large Exclusive Economic Zone. We have a
vital interest in the Indian Ocean and a close relationship
with countries of the Indian Ocean Rim and specially the Gulf
region," he said.
Singh said that India should also recognise that there
would be other competing interests whose maritime presence in
the sphere of "our interest and our influence will have to be
carefully monitored".
Another key role the Indian Navy will play, he said,
would be the safeguard the sea-lanes of communication, through
which pass the bulk of India's energy supplies and sea-borne
trade.
As India's oil and gas imports increase, demands on
the Navy would become further pronounced. "There is an
inextricable link between our economic resurgence and our
maritime power," he said.
The Prime Minister said as economic power shifts to
Asia, the demand for energy and the volume of trade passing
through the Indian Ocean region would expand rapidly. This
shift is being accompanied by the emergence of a host of
threats that travel through the oceans.
"These include the transportation of weapons of mass
destruction, small arms and other weaponry through the oceans
to the hinterland; the threat of piracy in international
waters; organised crime; drug trafficking; environmental
degradation; rising sea levels; illegal migration and human
smuggling," he said.
"The sea is increasingly becoming relevant in the
context of India's security interests and we must re-adjust
our military preparedness to this changing environment," Singh
said.
He said there was an ambitious plan for modernisation
of the navy to make it emerge as a three-dimensional force.
Singh said more and more resources were being spent
on Naval modernisation and research and development for new
ship design and battle space dominance through information
networking.
Commending the role of Navy in combating piracy in
the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, the Prime
Minister said the action has been widely acknowledged across
the world.
He said traditional naval powers continued to rely
upon their sea control assets while emerging powers were
developing sea denial capabilities.
Noting that the ongoing revolution in military affairs
and network-centric warfare has impacted on the navies, he
said all this led to the emergence of a new international
maritime order, one that is characterised by a great deal of
flux.
"This will have major implications for India," he said
adding that the Indian Navy will be required to have
capabilities to perform in the entire spectrum of conflict
ranging from military missions and strategic deterrence to
humanitarian assistance.
Observing that naval power was not just about fighting
wars, Singh said it had an integral role to play in
international diplomacy, commerce, energy supplies,
exploitation of sea resources and ensuring order at sea.
He said Indian Navy has got greater exposure by
holding joint exercises with several countries in recent years
and enhanced its ability to respond to common security
threats. PTI
