strategic importance of indian ocean.pptx

What makes the Indian Ocean so strategically important?
The Indian Ocean is a vast theater, stretching from the Strait of Malacca and western coast of Australia in the East to the Mozambique Channel in
the West. It encompasses the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea in the North, all the way down to the southern Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean Initiative
Along the coasts of this huge geographic expanse are countries that are home to some 2.7 billion people. The Indian Ocean’s key subregions are
South Asia, the Middle East, the eastern coast of Africa, and the islands dotting the ocean from Sri Lanka in the East to the Comoros Archipelago
in the West.
The region’s size and diversity explains its geoeconomic importance. Its regional forum, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, includes countries as
politically and socially different as Australia, Indonesia, Iran, and South Africa, leading to striking new power dynamics. From resource-rich Africa
and the energy-dense Middle East to South Asia’s labor markets and manufacturing industries, the stability of the Indian Ocean is crucial to the
global economy.
Why are countries vying for control over the Indian Ocean?
While it may be difficult today for one nation to control the entire expanse of the Indian Ocean the way the British, French, or Portuguese empires
did during the colonial period, the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean remains the same. In fact, the advent of the Indo-Pacific—the new
geopolitical framework that includes both the Indian and Pacific Oceans—has pushed the Indian Ocean back into the spotlight after a period with
no serious great power competition in the region, following the end of the Cold War.
The importance of trade and the sheer scope of its many subregions make the Indian Ocean critical in terms of military and strategic engagement.
It is a vital trading hub, connecting the Middle East to Southeast and East Asia, as well as Europe and the Americas. Any disruption along its
trading routes will impact the entire globe’s energy security, let alone that of significant economies like China, Japan, and South Korea, which
depend on energy imported primarily via the Malacca strait.
3/19/23, 12:41 PM What Is Happening in the Indian Ocean? - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/03/03/what-is-happening-in-indian-ocean-pub-83948#:~:text=The importance of trade and,as Europe and the Americas. 2/4
At the heart of the geopolitical struggle in the Indian Ocean is the ability to sustain a military presence near the key choke points connecting its
trade routes. Such a presence gives countries the power to protect and disrupt these valuable maritime channels—known as Sea Lines of
Communications (SLOC) protection and SLOC interdiction in naval terms—during times of peace and war.
Which parts of the Indian Ocean are most contested?
Of the world’s seven key choke points for oil transportation, three are in the Indian Ocean.

1. Strategic importance of Indian ocean Maham Aaqil

2. COTENTS WHAT MAKES THE INDIAN OCEAN SO STRATEGIC? WHY ARE COUNTRIES COMPETING FOR CONTROL OF THE INDIAN OCEAN? WHICH PARTS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN ARE MOST CONTESTED? WHAT’S THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY? 01 02 03 04 WHAT ARE THE CHANGES IN POWER DYNAMICS? 05 HOW SHOULD THE UNITED STATES RESPOND? 06 WHAT IMPACT WILL CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE ON THE GREAT POWERS’ COMPETITION? 07

3. 01 WHAT MAKES THE INDIAN OCEAN SO STRATEGIC?

4. Indian ocean The Indian Ocean is a huge theatre that stretches from the Mozambique Channel in the west to the Strait of Malacca and western coast of Australia in the east . Over 2.7 billion people live in countries that line the shores of this vast geographic area . South Asia, the Middle East, the eastern coast of Africa, and the islands that dot the ocean from Sri Lanka in the east to the Comoros Archipelago in the west are the major sub regions of the Indian Ocean.

5. Indian ocean The region's geo-economics significance is explained by its vastness and variety . With nations like Australia, Indonesia, Iran, and South Africa participating in its regional forum, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, there are strikingly different power relations . The stability of the Indian Ocean is essential to the global economy, affecting everything from South Asia's labour markets and manufacturing sectors to resource-rich Africa and the Middle East.

6. 02 WHY ARE COUNTRIES COMPETING FOR CONTROL OF THE INDIAN OCEAN?

7. 02 COUNTRIES COMPETING FOR CONTROL OF THE INDIAN OCEAN?? 3. Even the energy security of major countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, who rely on energy imports largely through the Malacca strait, will be affected by any disturbance along its trading routes . 4. States have the ability to maintain a military presence close to important choke points in the Indian Ocean, allowing them to safeguard and interfere with these crucial maritime routes. This is known as Sea Lines of Communications (SLOC) protection and interdiction. 2. The Indian Ocean is important for military and strategic involvement due to its importance in trade and energy security. It serves as a key crossroads for trade between the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as Southeast and East Asia .. 1. The strategic importance of the Indian Ocean has not changed, despite the fact that it may be challenging for one country to rule the whole region . After a period of no serious great power conflict, the emergence of the Indo-Pacific has thrust the Indian Ocean back into the limelight.

8. 03 WHICH PARTS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN ARE MOST CONTESTED?

9. 03 Contested parts of I ndian Ocean Three of the seven major oil transportation choke spots on earth are located in the Indian Ocean. These chokepoints, which join two significant rivers, cause a maritime gridlock. The alternate path is typically expensive, time-consuming, or in some circumstances impossible for huge ships and oil tankers to travel if these small areas of water are obstructed or unavailable. The Malacca Strait is the first choke point in Southeast Asia, connecting Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra to the Indian Ocean. The second is the Strait of Hormuz, which is the only sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the wider Indian Ocean.   The Bab-el-Mandeb strait connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, connecting Eritrea, Djibouti, and Yemen. . 01 02 03 04 Malacca strait Strait of Hormuz Bab-el-Mandeb Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel is a key trading route for goods transiting the Cape of Good Hope to the Middle East and Asia.

10. Strait of Malacca Strait of Hormuz Bab-el-Mandeb Trade The Strait of Malacca is the primary chokepoint in Asia, and in recent years, between 85% and 90% of annual total petroleum flows through this chokepoint were crude oil and carrying about 40 percent of the world's trade . Roughly 6.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products pass through the Strait toward Europe, the United States, and Asia, and over 50 million tons of agricultural products pass through it every year. Around 18 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz every day in 2020, making it an important route for oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Asian markets are the leading destinations for Hormuz oil flows.. 03 Contested parts of I ndian Ocean

11. Surveillance and reconnaissance missions around choke points are particularly important for awareness of an adversary's submarine movements, because detecting subsurface vessels in the wider open sea is much more difficult and expensive. A nation that boasts a strong security profile in the Indian Ocean will be an instrumental partner for the many littoral countries along its coastline, spanning Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. If a navy has access to and influence over these choke points, it can oversee all entry and exit points into the region Moreover, presence near key choke points helps a nation's antisubmarine warfare and surveillance missions, which create maritime domain awareness. 01 02 03 04 03 Contested parts of I ndian Ocean

12. 04 WHAT’S THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY?

13. Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. 80% 1 2 4 By the early twenty-first century, the U.S. presence in the Indian Ocean was mostly limited to supporting its missions in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Paris is a major player in the western Indian Ocean, while New Delhi has the primary role in the eastern Indian Ocean. The United States was a key player in the region through the Cold War with the Soviet Union. 3 Although India is a key U.S. partner in the Indian Ocean today, New Delhi politically throws its support behind Mauritius on principles of decolonization and nonalignment. 04 WHAT’S THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY? 5 However, the Indian Navy claims the entire Indian Ocean as its area of responsibility and prides itself on being the first to respond to natural and humanitarian disasters there. 6 China, India, Japan, US, UN, and other nations are active in combatting piracy off the coast of Somalia. Other nations are active in certain issues, such marine piracy..

14. 05 WHAT ARE THE CHANGES IN POWER DYNAMICS?

15. China established its first overseas military station in Djibouti, a country bordering the Indian Ocean, in 2017. The Chinese station solidifies its status as a new player in the area, whereas France, Japan, and the US already have bases in Djibouti. China's presence in the area has caused France, India, the United States, and other countries to become concerned, especially when combined with Beijing's more extensive maritime aspirations. China has established itself as a potent ally for the Indian Ocean's islands and littoral nations by expanding on its anti-piracy activities . Under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, the Maritime Silk Road has offered an additional forum for cooperation on commercial and security matters. 05 WHAT ARE THE CHANGES IN POWER DYNAMICS?

16. China and Russia are challenging traditional players in the Indian Ocean, with China having a diplomatic mission across all six island nations and Russia establishing a naval base in Sudan. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are also strengthening their economic and diplomatic ties with the islands, leading to new power dynamics.

17. 06 HOW SHOULD THE UNITED STATES RESPOND?

18. 06 01 02 03 04 In order to properly grasp the power play taking place now, Washington should do away with the leftover thinking of the Cold War era, when there were essentially only two major players: Russia and the United States. Most importantly, all powers, including the United States, should look at the Indian Ocean as one continuous theater and avoid seeing the region only through sub divisional silos. The US government has to focus more on the Indian Ocean's role in its own Indo-Pacific strategy. Instead, it should look at the region's fluid new dynamics. HOW SHOULD THE UNITED STATES RESPOND? 05 Paying attention to just one part of the ocean is not enough when there are so many players and shifting alliances and partnerships.

19. Finally, the United States and its partners should make better use of the key island territories they already hold in the Indian Ocean, which provide strategic access and reach over important areas of the ocean. They could provide fresh opportunities for countries to work together to address the emerging threats and challenges in the Indian Ocean. These islands—Cocos Keeling (Australia), Reunion (France), Andaman and Nicobar (India), and Diego Garcia (United States/UK/Mauritius)—are strategically located. HOW SHOULD THE UNITED STATES RESPOND ?

20. 07 WHAT IMPACT WILL CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE ON THE GREAT POWERS’ COMPETITION?

21. WHAT IMPACT WILL CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE ON THE GREAT POWERS’ COMPETITION? The geopolitics of the Indian Ocean will increasingly be influenced by nontraditional security concerns, such as global warming, illicit fishing, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. Island states and the African littoral will play a key role in maintaining presence and missions in strategically significant maritime regions, and the unconventional problems mentioned above will be the smaller countries' main security difficulties. In order to handle their own national security interests in the area, the region's traditional actors like France, India, and the United States, as well as its allies like Australia, Japan, and the UK, will need to consider their smaller partners' unconventional security issues. In essence, the great countries seeking for influence in the Indian Ocean must take into account the security concerns of the little island states if they hope to gain their support. Moreover, these problems have strategic ramifications for fishing boats and research missions employed for observation and reconnaissance.

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