Indian & American Perspectives on Technological Developments in the Maritime Domain and their Strategic Implications in the Indian Ocean Region
Author | : | Pradeep Kaushiva, Kamlesh K. Agnihotri |
Year of Publication | : | 2013 |
Publisher | : | KW Publishers Pvt Ltd |
ISBN - 13 | : | 9789381904770 |
Edition | : | First |
Language | : | English |
Binding | : | Hardcover |
Subject | : | General |
About the Book :
The maritime domain, hosting
the highways of global prosperity—through trade, industrial raw material and
energy links—rates high in its potential for conflict. As the global pendulum
of economic vibrancy swings eastwards, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has been
receiving increasing attention from all actors, state as well as non-state
ones, and now presents itself in sharp focus as one of the volatile seascapes
on this earth. The navies operating in the region will, therefore, need to
depend on high technology and associated doctrines and procedures, so as to
effectively deal with the wide spectrum of challenges therein. It will also
become incumbent upon such littoral states as can afford the high cost of
technology, to catch up so as to maintain their relevance in the great game
being played out in their very own backyard.
The United States as a leader in inventing and
exploiting technology sets its own benchmarks in internalization of advanced
technologies to undertake maritime missions at and from the sea in support of
its military operations ashore. China, on the other hand, has been striving
towards achieving asymmetric war-fighting capabilities, supported by other
developing technologies as well as core capabilities like the Beidou
position-fixing system, which would be central to network-centric operations,
including missile guidance systems.
As the IOR increasingly transforms into an arena
of extra-regional power play, the implications of technologically enabled
confrontations and their impact on resident states are poised to weigh in on a
scale never imagined before. There is thus, a greater need for India to gain
in-depth knowledge of and develop a perspective on advanced technology sensors,
weapons, supporting infrastructures, doctrines and futuristic concepts in the
maritime domain and their potential as strategic game changers in the IOR.
This book aims to foster greater understanding of
the challenges facing the IOR and also look at how the technological advances
in the maritime domain may possibly handle such challenges. It should provide
useful resource material to those investigating the impact of technology on
meeting the maritime challenges in the IOR.
About Author :
Vice Admiral (Retd) Pradeep Kaushiva is the Director of the National Maritime Foundation. A specialist in Communications and Electronic Warfare, the Admiral holds an M Sc (Telecom) degree and is a Fellow of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers. In a career spanning more than four decades, Admiral Kaushiva commanded four ships. As a Flag Officer, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Information Warfare and Operations); Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor, National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla; Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet and Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command at Kochi. He retired as the Commandant of the National Defence College, New Delhi.
Commander Kamlesh K Agnihotri is a Research Fellow at the China cell of the National Maritime Foundation. He was previously working in the China Desk at the Army Headquarters, New Delhi, where he gained extensive and first hand insight on China, its Armed Forces and the complex nature of Sino-Indian relations. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy in January 1986 and is a qualified missile and gunnery specialist. He has several years of experience in various fleet ships and has commanded a ship at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He has also qualified as a Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry expert and has a Masters degree in Business management.