Expeditionary Warfare In Indian Context

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

"India's growing international stature gives it strategic relevance in the area ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca…. India has exploited the fluidities of the emerging world order to forge new links through a combination of diplomatic repositioning, economic resurgence and military firmness."

Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

" A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for " Robert Browning

Appendix : Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

1. As the great poet implied, inevitably there will be- and should be- a gap between the aspirations, expectations, and vision for the future, and the realities that impinge on actual policy. It is the vision for the future that shapes progress by channeling energies to achieve what may appear difficult in the contemporary scene. At the same time it is essential that while long-term idealism should shape our thinking, short-term pragmatism should guide our actual policy. This is as applicable in the national context as at the more specific military level. Changes at the global level have initiated a process of reorientation of the power distribution in international politics. The disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), the changing face of Europe in pursuit of an identity of its own and a sharp decline of communism has set in a process of transition in world affairs. The existing obscurity has given rise to new opportunities, new speculations and new considerations regarding power distribution. A gradual shift from a geopolitical world order to a geo-economical world order has come to stay. There is no doubt that any future order would have ‘Economy’ and the power it wields albeit indirectly, at the centre of any international power game.

2. India will emerge as an unparalleled regional and economic power by the year 2030 and its growth along with China and Russia may form a "de facto geo-strategic alliance" to counterbalance US and western influence. A US National Intelligence Council projection for 2020 has said.

" The size of India’s population –1.35 billion by 2020 – and its technologically driven economic growth virtually dictate that India will be a rising regional power." The report also points out that the international community will have to deal with the military, political and economic dimensions of the rise of China and India and the continued decline of Russia. Can India become a global superpower in the near future? "India’s relatively strong educational system, democracy and English language skills position it well to take advantage of gains related to information technology," the projections reveal. India, nevertheless, faces enormous challenges in spreading the benefits of growth to hundreds of millions of impoverished, often illiterate citizens, particularly in the north eastern states. "India will strengthen its role as a regional power, but many uncertainties about the effects of global trends on its society cast doubts on how far India will go. India faces growing extremes between wealth and poverty, a mixed picture on natural resources, and problems with internal governance," it warned.

3. The Indo-Pak conflict of 1971 leading to the emergence of Bangladesh, peace keeping operations in Sri Lanka and quick repression of an attempted coup in Maldives provide ample evidence that India possesses many of the attributes of a regional power. However, in some areas like poverty, population explosion, literacy and foreign policy to some extent, India is lacking at the moment. For India to emerge as a regional power, these unfavorable areas need critical attention and reappraisal.

1. Historically, a king or emperor’s power was gauged either by the extent of territory that he commanded, or by the number of nations that he could impose his will upon. It is for this reason that defence or control of territory has been one of the major reasons for war. This is unlikely to change in the near future. Even as we attempt to focus the attention of our countrymen on the importance of the internal development, India's national security perceptions in the next 15 years [i] are likely to be largely driven by continental threats.

2. The concept of power projection was widely propagated by Alfred Mahan, in the late nineteenth century. For Mahan, power projection was a secondary mission of the navy, made possible after achieving command of the sea. This was the Mahanian ‘Big Battle Theory’ [ii] in which the navy acted almost autonomously. Mahan was followed by Corbett, who believed that major events were actually decided ashore and the reward for being strong at sea was the capacity of the maritime forces to influence events ashore. According to him, this ability was what sea power and naval power projection was all about.

3. In times of war, navies have two ways [iii] in which they can influence its outcome. The first is to afflict such damage upon the enemy war- machine that the national will to continue the fight is broken. This may be achieved by undertaking indirect operations, such as strangulating the overseas trade of the adversary or by denial of strategic commodities which enhance or sustain the war effort.

4. The direct method of affecting a continental war aims to target the adversary's territory from the sea by the delivery of ordnance. The target of that ordnance may be either hostile combatants, or the enemy assets at large. One method is to deliver the ordnance from platforms at sea (ships, submarines and aircraft). Another method is the insertion of a force ashore in adequate quantity, with associated material, which will deliver the ordnance. Use of land attack missiles, weapons carried by aircraft, naval gunfire, etc. are examples of the former, while expeditionary or amphibious operations are a typical example of the latter method. Therefore, to be an instrument of national security in conflict, the Indian Navy will need the capability to utilise both direct and indirect means to address the land battle with the aim of influencing events ashore.

5. Corbett’s time tested principle of power projection to influence the land battle has been the building block for maritime capabilities of modern navies. In doing so, the traditional amphibious operations, blockade and NGFS capabilities are being replaced by modern concepts such as OMFTS, Expeditionary Forces, Sea Basing and futuristic concepts such as Maritime Prepositioned Forces.

6. These concepts have found considerable practical utility with the frontline navies of the world in furthering their national policy. However, huge costs, lack of forward bases, modest national security aspirations and the emerging geo-strategic environment have cast doubts as to their utility for developing navy such as the Indian Navy.

METHODOLOGY

Statement of the Problem

7. This paper seeks bring about the key aspects of Expeditionary Warfare and the feasibility study of a Expeditionary Force for the India.

Hypothesis

India’s economic growth has out-paced the global growth rate, except that of China. In the present turmoil prone world order, with the dynamic nature of security threats, it is imperative for India to develop expeditionary capability, to undertake these operations in case of out of area contingency to protect its core national interests.

Justification for the Study

India, set to become a regional power, is acquiring the critical mass economically and technologically, but militarily she is still confined to its conventional thinking and, is yet to reorient to strategic thinking to enable it to acquire influence and realise its potential – what it has aspired since independence.

India is essentially a status quo power and harbours no extra-territorial ambitions. However, we have island territories in the Bay of Bengal as well as the Arabian Sea. We also have friends in the Indian Ocean Region, whose security is our concern. Therefore, contingencies can be envisioned where we may be compelled to cross the seas to protect our own island territories, or even reach "out of area" to safeguard the interests of our friends. Thus, India needs to build a robust force which would be quickly deployable, have rapid reaction and expeditionary capabilities.

Scope

11. The scope of the dissertation is restricted towards developing capabilities for effective power projection only within our area of our interest and not towards aspiring a global influence.

Method of Collecting Data

12. The data for this dissertation has been collected and collated from the books and periodicals at the Defence Services Staff College library and open source material from the Internet. A detailed bibliography is appended.

Organisation of the Dissertation

13. The dissertation proposes to analyse the subject through the following steps:-

(a) Chapter II. This chapter explains the basic tenants of an expeditionary force and subsequently elaborates the roles that it can perform during various crises.

(b) Chapter III. This chapter explores the evolution of expeditionary warfare from ancient period to the Crusade Period and through the World Wars to recent periods.

(c) Chapter IV. After understanding India’s maritime area of interest and maritime interests, this chapter charts the evolution of sea power and power projection by studying the tenants of Mahan and Corbett. The doctrinal shift from utilising the navy for Sea Control/ Denial to one which has the primary function of influencing the land battle is covered in this chapter.

(d) Chapter V. The characteristics and advantages accrued by modern Expeditionary Forces and Sea Basing are covered in this chapter.

(e) Chapter VI. Expeditionary Forces and Sea Basing also have certain limitations which should be considered to arrive at the viability of these forces for regional navies. These limitations are discussed in this chapter.

(f) Chapter VII. This chapter analyses the strategic roles and missions of the Indian Navy in the evolving geo-strategic environment of the IOR. Alternate power projection avenues in the form of ‘Soft Power’ options together with the advantages and disadvantages accrued vis-à-vis expeditionary capability are discussed in this chapter.

(g) Chapter VII. This chapter studies the feasibility of using Expeditionary Forces and Sea Basing by the Indian Navy and recommends the force structure and operational philosophy to be employed for effective power projection in the IOR.

(h) Chapter IX. Conclusion.

Comprehensive National Power (CNP) is the sum total of all the power or influence a nation can exert in international community of nations to defend its national interests. It is outcome of its national power and alliances with other friendly countries. It is derived from a combination of sources and instruments of power, viz industry, military, leadership, economy which when combined together become Comprehensive National Power of a nation. A country may use its CNP to secure its national interests.

India, today, is considered to be an evolving regional power. If, this is the future of India in the years to come, then; it is imperative that Indian Armed Forces should prepare themselves to support this national vision and aspiration.

HYPOTHESIS

2

JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY

SCOPE OF STUDY

The scope of the study is restricted towards developing capabilities for power projection within our area of interest, only, and not to acquire global influence.

PREVIEW

It is proposed to study the subject as under :-

Part I. Expeditionary Operations – Historical Perspective.

Part II. Evolution of Expeditionary Warfare.

Part III. Role of Expeditionary Force.

Part IV. Expeditionary Operations – Indian Context.

Part V. Recommendations for Development of Expeditionary Capability.

Part IV. Conclusion.