On The History Of The Maritime Security Strategy Of India Since Her Independence

Because of dealing with internal problems and land defence and of the Royal Navy’s hegemony which was then still existing in the Indian Ocean, India didn’t make great efforts on the maritime defence. Therefore, India’s maritime security strategy then was not only defensive but also dependent. The Second Indo-Parkistani War made Inida find her maritime defence force very inadequate. Meanwhile, the maritime security Britain had given disappeared nearly after the war. Thus, India had to undertake her maritime defence by herself and began to attach importance to the development of the navy. The Indian navy’s excellent performance during the Third Indo-Parkistani War was not only the achievement of the previous navy development but also the new beginning of the evolution of the navy. From then on, the Indian navy actually started to run. Simultaneously, the Cold War’s spreading into the Indian Ocean forced India to accelerate her maritime defence force’s pace. During that era, India established her own maritime security system. And, her maritime security strayegy appeared manipulative and offensive somehow when implemented, although India didn’t possess the capability of controlling the Inidan Ocean. Faced with new internal and external situations after the Cold War, India has been reinforcing her military force in the Indian Ocean as well as exerting her navy’s influence on the West Pacific Ocean, which extends her maritime security interest scope from the conventional region, the Indian Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean, marking that India commenced turning frome a regional maritime power into a worldwide one. India’s maritime security strategy has been a’biocean security strategy’, namely,’the Indian-Pacific Ocean security strategy’, more than a pure’Indian Ocean security strategy’. However, the Inidan Ocean remains the focus of India’s maritime security concerns. When carring out her maritime security strategy, India regards the promoting of her maritime as one of the important methods. Whilst, India integrates the implementation of her maritime security and the Great Power Strategy and expanding her maritime force is viewed as one of the vital means of achieving her "Dream of Great Power", but the use of the method is influenced manifoldly by geographical, economic and international strategic system factors. During the evolution of the Indian maritime security strategy, there are some lessons and experience deserving ponderings and attention of India herself as well as other coastal developing countries which are attempting to advance toward oceans.