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OPINION SEPTEMBER 02, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

Delegitimizing China’s Naval Presence

in the Indian Ocean Region

In 2015, China also deployed a nuclear attack submarine (SSN) for anti-piracy operations in the GoA. SSNs, being
stealth platforms, are ill-suited for anti-piracy operations, due to lack of ability to undertake surface operations

ANURAG BISEN racy efforts were to be undertaken sidered to be at higher risk of piracy. piracy, on 8 October 2015, the HRA
in cooperation with the Transitional The United Kingdom Marine Trade was revised westward, shifting it over
n 22 August 2022, in a devel- Federal Government of Somaliland Operations (UKMTO) operates a 1,400 kilometres away from the Indi-
opment having far-reaching the States were permitted to use “all Voluntary Reporting Scheme (VRS) an seaboard (see map below). This
Oconsequences for maritime necessary means” to stop “piracy and for the Indian Ocean, specifically resulted in substantial relief to the
security in the Indian Ocean Region armed robbery at sea” including en- Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabi- Indian shipping industry as well as
(IOR), the International Chamber of tering the Somali territorial waters. an Sea. In 2010, HRA was extended addressed India’s maritime security
Shipping (ICS) forwarded a submis- Since then, the UNSC has regularly from 65° East longitude to 78° East concerns.
sion to the International Maritime extended the authorizations, with the longitude, after increase in piracy in- A three-ship PLA Navy’s
Organization (IMO) for removal of last such extension adopted on 3 De- cidents off the coast of Somalia (see (PLAN) anti-piracy task forces
the ‘Indian Ocean High Risk Area’ cember 2021. map below). (APTF) to fight piracy in the GoA
(HRA) from 1 January 2023. The Lately, the incidents of piracy The eastward limit of HRA was was sent for the first time on 26 De-
submission will be taken up at the within the HRA have declined to an close to the western seaboard of In- cember 2008. Since then, China has
next meeting of the IMO’s Maritime all-time low and no incidents of pi- dia. This led to re-routing of east- deployed more than 120 warships,
Safety Committee (MSC) on 31 Oc- racy have been reported since begin- bound merchant shipping close to with claims of having escorted more
tober 2022. Considering that the pro- ning of 2021. Successful ship hijack- the Indian coast, thereby impacting than 7,000 Chinese and foreign ships
posal has been backed by the Baltic ings for ransom have also not been local fishermen. Indian fishing boats over the period. Under the garb of
and International Maritime Coun- reported since March 2017. have also been fired upon, mistaken assisting in humanitarian efforts,
cil (BIMCO), International Marine The Contact Group on Piracy for pirate skiffs, as seen in the MV China also opened its first overseas
Contractors Association (IMCA), In- off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), Enrica Lexie incident, of 15 Febru- military base at Djibouti in 2017.
ternational Association of Dry Cargo having participation from nearly 80 ary 2012. Further, hiring of private In 2015, China also deployed a
Ship-owners (INTERCARGO),4 In- countries and several international security, transit at ‘uneconomical’ nuclear attack submarine (SSN) for
ternational Association of Indepen- organizations, is the principal inter- speeds and payment of Additional anti-piracy operations in the GoA.
dent Tanker Owners (INTERTAN- national framework for coordinating War Risk Premium (AWRP), added SSNs, being stealth platforms, are
KO) and Oil Companies International anti-piracy activities in the Gulf of to the cost of transportation. It has ill-suited for anti-piracy operations,
Marine Forum (OCIMF)—cumu- Aden (GoA). Other prominent orga- been estimated that the AWRP lev- due to lack of ability to undertake
latively representing the bulk of the nizations include the United Nations ied on almost 22,000 ships calling on surface operations. China’s SSN de-
shipping stakeholders, the removal of Office on Drugs and Crime (UNO- Indian ports between 2000 and 2015, ployment therefore, clearly betrays
HRA is a foregone conclusion. DC), United Nations Development amounted to Rs 8,500 cores. a strategic intent. It is quite possi-
Alarmed by the continuing in- Programme (UNDP), Maritime Due to the economic and secu- ble that the SSN deployment was
crease in piracy and armed robbery Security Coordination Committee rity implications, India sought HRA meant to test the infrastructure and
in the waters off the coast of Somalia, (MSCC), IMO, Djibouti Code of revision back to 65° East longitude. capability, including the necessary
the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Conduct (DCoC), European Union Indian naval forces undertook ex- Command and Control and Com-
2 June 2008 authorized the patrolling Capacity Building Mission in So- tensive counter-piracy operations, munication protocols, for long range/
of Somali waters for six months by the malia (EUCAP Somalia), and the because of which no piracy attacks long duration patrol by the SSNs
States having the capability to do so.6 Shared Awareness and Deconfliction took place east of 65° East longitude and/or deterrent patrol missions by
Sanctioned under Chapter VII of Initiative (SHADE). for more than three years since 2012. SSBNs (ballistic missile nuclear sub-
the UN Charter, which provides for High Risk Area (HRA) is an In recognition of India’s persistent marines).
enforcement action, the counter-pi- industry designation for areas con- efforts and the trend of declining Continued at next page... >>

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