Indian Navy in a threatening Red Sea

Source: This post has been created based on the article “Indian Navy in a threatening Red Sea” published in “Indian Express” on 30^th December 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 International Relations – Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

News: The article discusses the importance of shipping trade and why the Indian Ocean is more vulnerable to interventions by state and non-state actors. It also mentions the challenges in front of the Indian Navy in dealing with the Houthi threat in the Red Sea.

The recent attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels have begun posing a serious threat to merchant ships in the Red Sea.

Why is shipping trade important?

1) Shipping is the cheapest and most efficient method of transporting goods over long distances, forming the bedrock of the global economy.
For instance, the waters of the Indian Ocean carry 80% of the world’s oil.

2) Trade warfare or waging war on seaborne commerce has historically been a favoured strategy to coerce an enemy by striking at the very roots of its security and prosperity.

Why is shipping trade in the Indian Ocean more vulnerable?

The Indian Ocean has a number of narrow passages called “choke points”. These constrict shipping traffic into a narrow sea lane, making them vulnerable to interventions by states, pirates and terrorists. These include Malacca Strait, Hormuz Strait and Bab al Mandab Strait.

It is at Bab al Mandab Strait where the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched missile and drone attacks on US Navy units and merchant shipping.

Indian Ocean Choke-Points. Source: Carnegie Endowment.

What could be the reasons for this attack?

The underlying reasons for these attacks could be manifold:

1. Clash of Regional and Global Powers: The conflict between the Yemen Republic and the Houthis is seen as a Saudi Arabia-Iran proxy war, which has assumed wider multilateral dimensions.
   Countries like USA, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Sudan, Bahrain and organisations like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah either participate or support one or the other side.
2. Ideological Objectives: The Houthis have claimed that their aim for attacking shipping is to pressurise Israel to end its bombardment of Gaza, targeting only those ships which are in any way “linked” to Israel.

What has been the world’s response?

The US, due to its deep ties to Israel, launched “Operation Prosperity Guardian” with the aim of safeguarding Red Sea shipping.

However, it is being seen as provocatory against Iran, and hasn’t received wider support by 3 important NATO countries — France, Italy and Spain.

India: India’s deployment of 4-5 warships as a show of “naval presence” reflects its status as a maritime power.

What will be challenges in front of the Indian Navy?

According to the author, the Indian Navy will be constrained by two factors:

1. Jurisdictional Issues: The state in which a ship is registered has the primary responsibility for maintaining security and law enforcement on ships in international waters. A warship of any other state wanting to board a merchant vessel in peacetime will need the consent of the flag state.
2. Drone Warfare: Navies are struggling to devise counter-measures to the evolving dangers of drone attacks.
   The smaller, low-flying drones are hard to spot by radars and target. Soft-kill measures (jamming the drone’s radio signals) or hard-kill/kinetic systems (missiles or rapid-firing guns) can be utilised.

India must use its good relations with Iran, as well as with Israel, to urge moderation and restraint in order to restore peace in the Indian Ocean.

Question for practice:

Why is shipping trade in the Indian Ocean more vulnerable? What will be challenges in front of the Indian Navy while dealing with terrorism and piracy in ensuring maritime security?