Going Beyond The Nicobar Choke: Part 2 Debate

EDITOR'S NOTE

The debate triggered by the article titled 'The Great Nicobar Choke' received a boost by another piece by Abhinav Singh for WION News.

These two articles have together received several tri-service responses from our veterans. These are related to infrastructure development to militarily strengthen the strategically placed Nicobar base of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Several issues covered by responses have collectively led to the dire need to synergise the three services and boost the will of the nation for future challenges.

A few relevant and thought provoking points raised by Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh has taken this debate beyond the Nicobar Choke - towards several critical points and imperatives concerning the Armed Forces and our highest national interests. Do read, reflect and revert with your valuable feed back/responses to continue this Debate.

Col. Vinay Dalvi, MVI

Col. Rajinder Kushwaha

A good piece by Abhinav Singh published by WION. In my various articles I have been emphasising this aspect of Chinese exploiting COCO Islands for its military and economic use. It has been able to create an airstrip and other auxiliary facilities. Also in my book, The ULFA INSURGENCY, I have brought out these aspects and threat to India’s Eastern coastline and strategic assets.

It may be noted that China has laid two pipe lines from here (Coco Island) to Mainland China through Rakhin Province of Myanmar. It would be interesting to note that a few years back China had expressed a desire to create CMEC (China Myanmar Economic Corridor) to link up with Coco Islands. Along with Hambantota port of Srilanka, Coco islands would facilitate uninterrupted energy supply from Gulf region.

Besides, it is rumoured that China has agreed to provide nuclear know how to Myanmar military Junta to help it develop an atom bomb. If it happens India would have nuclear threat from North East and West.

China is also pressurising Bangladesh for CBEC (China Bangla Desh Economic Corridor), which can provide it direct access to Bay of Bengal. This is why Bhutan and Dhoka La in Chumbi valley gain importance. See its significance in the light of danger to entire North East. Do not forget that present Government of Bangla Desh needs funds for economic development and it might be tempted to accept it. CBEC and CMEC in combination, can be a big challenge to India’s security of North East. No wonder India is working on a KALADAN PROJECT to link up Kolkota with NE through Bay of Bengal.

Further, Nehru’s blunder of giving away Coco Islands to Myanmar, now threatens India’s strategic assets at:—

Missile Testing Range in the wheeler Island.
Ship building facility at Vizag
ISRO at Sriharikota
A& N Nicobar Islamds.
Do not forget about Naxalite problem along the Eastern Coast through Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Bengal and Jharkhand.

Of course, China can any day exploit Tamil Nadu situation by encouraging Dravidian sentiments and fuelling North - South divide.

In view of such a grand security threat, India would have to much more than building a naval base to Choke Strait of Malacca. It must be able to DENY access to Bay of Bengal both from Land route and Indian Ocean.

Neil John

The naval veteran author is looking at an issue with a biased lens. The bigger picture is that you are unnecessarily causing friction in non existent friction points. Why raise an issue that we can’t hold on to in the near future in the first place? Why create black holes of funding, man and material when we should be looking at capacity building? We aren’t in competition with the Chinese. Also we can’t go to battle with them all alone. We don’t have that might. The capability is lacking and will never be matching the Chinese strategic foreplay.

The navy can neither win us a war with China, nor take the war to the Chinese with the surety of winning. All they can do is start a war with some crazy cavalier actions forcing China to respond and retaliate with might in the northern borders, where it hurts India the most.

The distance and time to Andaman’s from the main land is the biggest cause of concern. The total number of islands devoid of security is a disaster and vulnerability to us and a huge opportunity to any enemy.

Having said that, the navy has to be relevant, so it has to keep coming up with geo strategic philosophies that are an existential need to stay in the bigger game.

We are still a country striving to reach a developed country status. We all know that the only thing in development that we can boast about are our metros. In the rest of the country, the initial standard was so low, that if any development takes place, the politicians tom tom it as a revolutionary change, the media propagates it and we all believe in the magical wand. Our roads are still broken, our electricity intermittent, our clean water provisioning a distant dream. Yes, we have the digital technology back up, if mobile phones are an indicator, also we are supplying COVID vaccines for which I am still paying a COVID surcharge. (Nothing is free). We sent troops to Turkey, we sent troops to Nepal, we will keep assisting in disaster management, but so are Bangladesh and Kenya.

CBGs were brought in to show that we have arrived as a military of reckoning when what you needed more was anti -submarine capabilities, this is one such example of overreach and hype in the visual domain. We aren’t America that we need to show military force and display of strength in the pacific region or the South China Sea. Our biggest threat is the peninsular region and the island chain. We need to start defending these. The logic of a blue water navy to give strategical depth is all warped. There are multiple SLOCs and remember - in a land based warfare, the navy is fighting on its own especially with the Chinese. What scares me more is with their corporate type of functioning, will they ever deliver?

I am sorry I am being blunt, but the fact is that we need to take care of our weaknesses first, instead of propagating what we can’t be. What is the CBG going to do in a war with China. How many nuclear submarines do we have? How have we mitigated the threat of sub surface warfare. Whom are we fooling? The army says the northern adversary is our main adversary, can the navy take the battle to the South China Sea without being hit? The navy I am sure is already looking over their shoulders for the Australians and the US towards joint operations around. Let’s take the Ukraine lesson, countries will join war only when it affects their national interests. A land based northern conflict is India’s baby alone. What will the navy do? Amazes me to even think of the possibilities, knowing very well that the Chinese have assets all around the peninsula and the IOR.

Let the navy just concentrate on security in the IOR. To create another window of opportunity to the Chinese towards their perception of just war is a sword in our strategical thinking. In comparison of effects, one company isolated on land vis- a -vis to a ship sunk in the sea. The cost is too heavy and the information warfare a price too big.

Don’t forget it’s not the Pakistanis this time, it’s the Chinese. They are masters of disguise, deception, cunning and winning without fighting.

Maj Gen Rajan Kochhar

An excellent piece by Abhinav in Wion. We need to strategise our assets. Establishing bases in one part but making it operational with capability to dominate IOR as well as interdict the PLAN would be necessary. PLAN has shown its footprints in the Malacca region by frequently sending its nuclear submarines to collect and analyse data. Since we have bases both at ANI and Sarong we should further enhance their capabilities with technology as well as naval assets. Enhancement of our submarines fleet would therefore become relevant. I feel the priorities should be based on threat perception. The Government could harness the procurements accordingly. However with the kind of defence budget given it seems a pipe dream as yet.

Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh

While discussing what we are, let us keep in mind the bigger picture and geopolitical aspects.

China is India's prime adversary, we are not China's main adversary; it is USA. Remember, China is not Pakistan but much much stronger militarily and economically.

How long can India wage a war? This aspect needs to be deliberated and kept in view! Our military depends so much on imports; even critical ammunition, missiles, bombs, etc. What stocks we have. Also the economic costs.

India is woefully short of aircraft, submarines, guns. These are not likely to be made up in the near future.

INDIAN MILITARY IS DIVIDED AND LACKS SYNERGY. OUR TOP MILITARY LEADERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND SISTER SERVICES POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS, THEIR NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS, EVEN WHILE FIGHTING A WAR! YES! THIS IS TRUE. THEY CAN CONFIDE IN A CIVILIAN BUT NOT WITH SISTER SERVICE.

It is the political leadership which takes major strategic decisions prior to and even during the war. It is their will power that will decide whether to start, to take bold offensive actions on land sea and air, continue and end the war. How far you think our political leadership will go?

Always India's policy has been not to expand the war.
Is there a change in this thinking?

In 1962 we did not use the air force, in Ladakh we gave away Kailash Range, after 1971 war we frittered away gains of a great military victory!

INDIA IS NOT USA, RUSSIA OR CHINA. WE CANNOT START BLOCKING INTERNATIONAL SEA LANES AND CHOKE POINTS ON OUR OWN.
WE WILL SUCCUMB TO INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE SOONER THAN LATER. IN ANY SUCH GAMBIT QUAD ,ETC., WILL COME IN. WE ARE NOT DOING NAVAL EXERCISES WITH OTHER NAVIES FOR NOTHING!

BUT WOULD WE LIKE TO BECOME A UKRAINE IN US CHINA RIVALRY?

Militarily weaker and developing nations can follow a strategy of DENIAL; denial of own territory, air and sea and not domination. Good example you all know about is a boxer fighting a stronger one. He defends side steps but does land punches too.

WHEN ATTACKED VIETNAM TAUGHT CHINA A LESSON. LET US LEARN FROM THEM.

Yes, India has great advantage of posing a threat to choke points. The threat in being must be there. AN Islands give us great advantage. It will take 10-15 yrs or so to develop the naval and air bases. Hope by then we have more ships and aircraft to wage war more than 1500 miles from the Mainland. AND ABOVE ALL THERE IS GREATER SYNERGY BETWEEN THE SERVICES. We have no say in the political and beaucratic goings on. Thank God for that!

(Views expressed are the respondent's own and do not reflect the editorial stance of Mission Victory India)

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