Indian Navy lists Hormuz as ‘primary area’ of interest, one of the key ‘choke points’ | India News
Indian Navy Navy chief Admiral DK Tripathi has made public his recently released maritime security strategy, which mentions Hormuz as a “priority area”, among other “choke points”.Maritime choke points in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) constitute critical nodes that have a disproportionate impact on global trade and energy security. Such choke points in the IOR are Cape of Good Hope, Mozambique Channel, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Strait of Hormuz, Malacca and Singapore Straits, Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait, Ombai Strait and Waiter Strait. The Straits of Malacca and Singapore connect the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, providing the shortest sea route from the Persian Gulf to East Asia/West Pacific.The Sunda Strait serves as an alternate route to Malacca and Singapore, being 50 nautical miles (nm) long and 15 nm wide at its northeastern entrance. Large vessels prefer not to pass through this strait due to navigational hazards, depth restrictions and strong currents. Ombai Strait lies between Alor and Timor Islands and Waiter Strait lies between Timor and Waiter Islands. Due to the distance, routing through this region is not generally preferred as an alternative to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.As India’s economic and strategic engagement across the seas expands, the scope and intensity of external influences affecting national interests are expected to increase significantly in the coming years, requiring the Indian Navy to operate across a wider geographic canvas. As a result, the entire maritime domain, beyond the primary area of maritime interest, has been designated as a ‘secondary’ area of maritime interest, the document said.The Indian Navy’s primary areas of maritime interest are listed as “Indian coastal zone and maritime zone; Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, Laccadives Sea and their coastal areas; Persian Gulf area and its coastal areas; Indian coastal area including the Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and their southern areas; It and the east coast of Africa, the Six Degree Channel, Bab-Elmandeb, Malacca, Singapore, Sunda, Lombok and Ombai-Wetter and their Caplit territories; includes our sea lines of communication and international sea lanes and vital energy and resource interests”.Beyond energy, the maritime domain is the primary carrier for imports critical to India’s food security, public health and industrial capacity. India to meet 73% of its fertilizer requirement through domestic production by 2025 Yet, as the world’s second largest fertilizer consumer, India remains import-dependent for muriate of potash (MOP) and significantly dependent on foreign sources for diammonium phosphate (DAP). About 16 million tonnes of edible oil is imported by sea annually, with India’s maritime leverage, infrastructure and sea-based activities being key drivers of economic growth and prosperity, it said.
