India bringing Maldives into its security net

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Navy eyes Maldives-Counter to China’s ‘string of pearls’ plan

New Delhi, Aug. 19: A tiny pearl of an island with a former World War II airbase in the Maldives is now the Indian Navy’s strategic object of desire.

Defence minister A.K. Antony’s visit to the Maldives with a high-level team for three days starting tomorrow will not name Gan, or Addu Atoll, where the coral island is located, just south of the equator.

But the navy wants a permanent presence in Gan for its surveillance aircraft, along with a presence of its ships and other aircraft in both Male, the capital of the Maldives, and Hanimadhoo, in the Haa Dhalu Atoll in the island country’s north, which is barely 20 nautical miles (37km) south of the Indian islands of Minicoy.

As India and China seek to expand their influence in the Indian Ocean region, territories barely marked on maps are popping up like beacons in the vast blue. Gan, in Addu Atoll, is the latest.

The Indian delegation is likely to propose building or renovating a hospital in the Maldives. Antony is accompanied by, among others, the director general of the Armed Forces Medical Services, Lieutenant General N.K. Parmar.

Navy officials agreed that Gan was of “great strategic importance” but were reluctant to describe their idea of a presence there as a “naval base”.

“It is important for us to station assets there. That does not mean taking it over. In fact, we have flown our aircraft from there. We want to station there now,” a senior official said.

India does not expect this to happen overnight. Antony is expected to begin an essay in persuasion, with goodies thrown in, and a review of mutual benefits at the discussions tomorrow.

This is how New Delhi hopes to sell the idea of a listening post in Gan, or Addu, to Male: You have concerns over your environmentally fragile exclusive economic zone and about patrolling and policing your far-flung islands, some of which are uninhabited. And we, the Indian Navy, are the “regional stabilising force” in the Indian Ocean.

Indian officials will make the point that the navy is, in any case, patrolling waters a mere 15 nautical miles from the Maldives.

The group of coral islands that make up the Maldives is about 600km from its north to south.

The Maldives does not have a navy. India will offer to patrol and keep an eye over its territories. For India, the benefit: it gets a listening post that will monitor movement of Chinese vessels as they sail to and from Africa. More than 60 per cent of Chinese oil imports are assessed to be sourced from Africa.

New Delhi’s military establishment is wary of China’s “string of pearls” strategy — the phrase used to describe the pockets of influence that Beijing wants to dot around India, starting with the port of Gwadar in Pakistan to the port of Hambantota, which China is developing in the southern tip of Sri Lanka, to Myanmarese and Bangladeshi ports in the Bay of Bengal.

India has over the years tried to develop military bases overseas without great success. Its first has been in Farkhor and Ayni. Ayni is about 10km south of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan on its north.

Pakistan and China find an Indian military presence in Farkhor, also in Tajikistan, threatening.

An Indian military presence in Gan — formerly the RAF Gan, so named after the British navy built it for its fleet air arm and then handed it over to the Royal Air Force — means an extension of reach for its navy. The Indian Navy sees its area of responsibility in the ocean covering the space between the Persian Gulf and the Malacca Straits.

Antony will also be accompanied by defence secretary Pradeep Kumar, director-general of the coast guard, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, and deputy chief of navy staff, Vice Admiral D.K. Joshi.

Antony is scheduled to meet Maldives’ President Mohammed Nasheed shortly after landing. In the back-to-back meetings tomorrow, the delegation will talk to officials and ministers in Male and to the Maldives National Defence Force.

A defence ministry release today said Antony “will also attend the closing session of the India-Maldives Friendship function besides paying a visit to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, the most visible symbol of Indo-Maldives cooperation and friendship.”

India was the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965. In 1988 India’s military launched Operation Cactus to foil a coup attempt in Male. In April 2006, India gifted a fast-attack craft, the INS Tillanchang, to the Maldives.

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
 

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India gives Maldives defence help

India and the Maldives have agreed to greater levels of co-operation on matters of defence and security, an Indian defence ministry spokesman says.
A series of measures were agreed in meetings between Indian Defence Minister AK Antony and the President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed.
Mr Antony, who is on a three-day visit to the Maldives, said the countries faced common security threats.
He said Delhi was willing to extend whatever support the Maldives required.
"India and Maldives have agreed on a series of measures to step up defence cooperation between the two countries," Indian defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.
He said the Maldivian authorities "expressed concerns over the crucial tasks of safeguarding and protecting their vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) while stating its need to develop and enhance maritime surveillance and aerial mobility capabilities".
But Mr Antony denied reports in the Indian media that an offer by Delhi of military assistance to the Maldives is driven by self-interest.
Media reports said Delhi was offering to establish a comprehensive maritime surveillance plan, by installing a network of ground radars in the Maldives and linking them with the Indian Coastal Command.
Analysts see the move as a possible Indian response to Chinese efforts to establish close strategic relations with India's neighbours including Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | India gives Maldives defence help
 

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India To Install Radars in Maldives

21 Aug 2009

NEW DELHI - India will help the Republic of Maldives build a maritime surveillance system, among other defense-cooperative measures agreed to during the Aug. 20-22 visit of India Defence Minister A.K. Antony to the Indian Ocean island nation.

The system's radars will be linked to the Indian Navy and Coastal Guard headquarters, a senior Indian Navy official said.India is also likely to give Maldives two Coast Guard helicopters in coming months, the Navy official said.

Indian Defence Ministry sources said Maldives is emerging as an important logistics and intelligence base for India.Antony and his delegation met with Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed and Defence Minister Ameen Faisal, who told reporters Aug. 21 that the security concerns of both countries are intertwined.

Analysts said the move was part of India's efforts to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.

"If China is building a port in Hambantota, India outflanks the same by a strong presence in Male and so on. What could even be termed as a great game in the Indian Ocean will be seen in the years ahead," said defense analyst Rahul Bhonsle, a retired Army brigadier.

But Zach Mathews, a retired Indian Navy commodore, said India is more worried about countering Pakistan's influence on the island chain, which is 400 nautical miles from the Indian coast.

"Maldives is a Muslim country, and having an independent nation close to the Indian subcontinent and under control of forces inimical to India would be a disaster," Mathews said.

In 1988, India sent forces to Maldives at the request of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom during a coup attempt. When the Indian troops arrived in Maldives by air, the terrorists and rebels escaped from Male but were overpowered by Indian Navy warships.

Maldives has an India-First policy, says Vijay Sakhuja, a director at the Indian Council of World Affairs here.

"Maldives has emphatically denied that there are Chinese naval facilities on any of its island territories and assured [us] that it has no plans [to allow any] in the future. Instead, it seeks an exclusive security arrangement with India and does not wish to approach regional and extraregional powers for such agreements," said Sakhuja.

Analysts said Maldives needs help securing its littorals from piracy, terrorism, contraband trade, drug smuggling and human smuggling by local and foreign actors.

"There is a need not just for Indian interests, but also [for] overall global interests, given the large quantum of trade passing through this region, which is likely to grow exponentially once the present financial crisis recedes. Unless these sea lanes are secured, there would be many more Somalia-like situations happening in the region," said Bhonsle. "I would not view it as an Indian security net but a global trade security net for which other South Asian countries of Sri Lanka and Maldives and those on the East African coast would remain critical. This global trade safety net through the Indian Ocean will be led by India, given the strategic location and large naval presence."

The Indian delegation also included Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, DG Armed Forces Medical Services Lt. Gen. N.K. Parmar, DG Coast Guard Vice Adm. Anil Chopra and Deputy Chief of Navy Staff Vice Adm. D.K. Joshi, according to an Indian Defence Ministry press release

India To Install Radars in Maldives - Defense News
 

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Indian Government to provide helicopter, 25-bed military hospital to Maldives

| DATE: 2009-08-23 | PRINT | SHARE
The Indian Government has agreed to provide a helicopter and a 25-bed military hospital to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), a joint statement released by the Maldives Defence Ministry and Indian High Commission last Thursday said.

The statement said that the Indian Government had agreed to provide a Dhruv helicopter, manufactured by the Hindhustan Aeronautics Ltd, to the Maldives because it was very important that the MNDF be properly equipped to react quickly in search and rescue and other such operations.

The joint statement was issued after top-level discussions took place between the Indian delegation, led by the Indian Defence Minister A K Anthony, President Mohamed Nasheed and Defence Minister Ameen Faisal. The meeting took place at the President’s Office last Thursday and the statement further said that the Indian Government would provide all the necessary assistance to establish the 25-bed military hospital in Malé, including training the MNDF doctors and paramedics.

The statement further said that the Indian Navy and MNDF would carry out joint surveillance and patrolling of the seas in the region. The statement, however, made no mention of the rumoured security agreement between the countries. - HNS
 

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India eyes Maldives to counter China in Indian Ocean

New Delhi: In a bid to enlarge India's footprint in the Indian Ocean region and counter China's influence, Defence Minister A.K. Antony yesterday began his three-day visit to the island nation of Maldives, where a pact for greater defence cooperation between the two sides is expected to be signed.

According to defence ministry sources, the island nation has sought greater defence cooperation with India in terms of coastal security and patrolling of the waters around it.

Shortly after his arrival at the Maldivian capital of Male, Antony called on President Mohammad Nasheed, a defence official said, adding that he will also hold talks with the top leadership of the government and the Maldives National Defence Force.


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Antony will hold bilateral discussions with his Maldivian counterpart Ameen Faisal on ways to expand defence cooperation between the two countries, he added.

The Maldives in the Indian Ocean is strategically important to India.

Three factors make the Maldives attractive to Indian security interests.

Firstly, with its proximity to the Indian island cluster of Lakshadweep, the Maldives has increased importance for the coastal security, in light of the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai.

The second factor is that the country comprising more than 1,100 islets can offer India logistics support and perhaps even a base of operations and hence extend the Indian naval footprint.

The third is that the Maldives, by offering its facilities, can extend the Indian maritime airspace surveillance capability.

Gulfnews: India eyes Maldives to counter China in Indian Ocean
 

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India plans naval base on Maldives to contain Chinese influence
India is planning to establish a naval base and listening post in the Maldives, the tropical holiday islands in the Indian Ocean, in an attempt to contain growing Chinese influence in the region.

Its naval chiefs and military strategists have become increasingly alarmed by China's expansion in South Asia where it has established a series of bases in neighbouring countries.

It is currently developing a deep water harbour for its expanding fleet of nuclear submarines in Gwadar, Pakistan, and is developing ports in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Indian strategists have described its growing number of ports as a "string of pearls" around its neck.

Officials are now in talks with their counterparts in the Maldives to boost security for the tiny island, which has been targeted by drug smugglers, terrorists and pirates, and also to develop a new vantage point to protect its own coastal waters.

Under the plan, India wants to develop a former Royal Air Force base on the islands, and integrate the Maldives into its own coastguard system.

The Indian defence minister, A.K. Anthony, visited the islands to discuss the deployment of surveillance aircraft and ships.

The Maldivian government has found it impossible to police its own waters. It has more than a 1,000 tiny islands, only 200 of which are inhabited, with just under 400 miles separating the northernmost island from its most southerly.

"India wants to reinforce and expand its perimeter defence and an active surveillance from a naval base will contribute to that important strategic objective," said Dr Anupam Srivastava, director of the Asia Programme at the University of Georgia's Centre for International Trade and Security.
India plans naval base on Maldives to contain Chinese influence - Telegraph
 

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India gives Maldives defence help



India and the Maldives have agreed to greater levels of co-operation on matters of defence and security, an Indian defence ministry spokesman says.

A series of measures were agreed in meetings between Indian Defence Minister AK Antony and the President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed.

Mr Antony, who is on a three-day visit to the Maldives, said the countries faced common security threats.

He said Delhi was willing to extend whatever support the Maldives required.

"India and Maldives have agreed on a series of measures to step up defence cooperation between the two countries," Indian defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.

He said the Maldivian authorities "expressed concerns over the crucial tasks of safeguarding and protecting their vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) while stating its need to develop and enhance maritime surveillance and aerial mobility capabilities".

But Mr Antony denied reports in the Indian media that an offer by Delhi of military assistance to the Maldives is driven by self-interest.

Media reports said Delhi was offering to establish a comprehensive maritime surveillance plan, by installing a network of ground radars in the Maldives and linking them with the Indian Coastal Command.

Analysts see the move as a possible Indian response to Chinese efforts to establish close strategic relations with India's neighbours including Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | India gives Maldives defence help
 

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Antony hails India, Maldives ties

NEW DELHI, 22 AUG: The defence minister, Mr AK Antony (in photo top), today said India and Maldives are a “shining model of how two countries of differing sizes can cooperate with each other as equals”.
Speaking at the concluding session of the India-Maldives Friendship Week at Male last night, he said: “Both countries have been extremely conscious of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and, at the same time, realise that their destinies are intertwined. Both countries have always emphasised the mutuality of interest and support each other in numerous ways ~ at the bilateral, regional and international level. India is proud of this partnership and engagement and deeply value the friendship of the people of Maldives. In this quest, the people of Maldives can always count on India as a sincere and well-meaning friend.”
Referring to the democratic transformation that has taken place in Maldives in recent years, Mr Antony said India would be happy to assist Maldives in any way that is possible in strengthening democracy and democratic institutions that are being built in the country. He said India would like to share views on issues like climate change, economic development as well as problem areas such as drug trafficking, extremism and the threat of terrorism that is afflicting the region as well as the larger world
Meanwhile, President Nasheed (in photo) has agreed to a request from the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to be the chief guest at the Technology Development and Transfer Meeting on Climate Change to be held here on 22 October. The request of the Prime Minister was conveyed by Mr Antony to Mr Nasheed.
Mr Antony was in Maldives on a two-day visit as part of the exercise to have closer cooperation in defence and other security related matters specially in the wake of the increasing threat of terrorist strikes from the sea as also the growing problem of piracy and drug trafficking.
The Statesman
 

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India’s Military team has arrived in Maldives, The Times India headline stated, Antony the Indian defence Minister to give Maldives shield against terror

The Defence Military (RAW) the protector of India has arrived Maldives amidst dissent by all the citizens of Maldives and the news paper article that appeared in the India Times, oblivious to the PDF and chinese desperation to stop India.

The article stated that,

“As part of the overall strategy to prevent China from further spreading its influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) defence Minister AK Antony is visiting… Under the new plan, of India, they will help Maldives set up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems. Moreover, amid fears in Male that one of its island resorts could be taken over by terrorists, India will also provide the country Maldives with a couple of helicopters, as also help patrol its territorial waters with both warships and reconnaissance aircraft. Maldives, in particular, constitutes an important part of this strategy since China is making persistent moves in the region as part of its military diplomacy. According to some quarters, China is even keen to establish a full-fledged naval base in Marao....LOL, one of the islands of Maldives, by 2010.


LOL.....at PDF the China's little babies
 

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Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan

NEW DELHI - For some time, India and China have eyed each other's influence in the Indian Ocean region, which has significant strategic, military, transport, energy and commercial interests for both countries.

The recent three-day visit of Indian Defense Minister A K Antony to the Maldives for a meeting with President Mohammed Nasheed is viewed as one more step by Delhi to increase its presence in this important region.

Defense engagements between India and the Maldives are described as of those between "good friends and equal partners". Antony said the Maldivian authorities "expressed concerns over
 

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Obama approves sale of defence articles to Maldives

Washington: US President Barack Obama has approved sale of defence articles and services to the tiny Island nation of Maldives.

In a presidential determination to the Secretary of State, Obama said "the furnishing of defence articles and defence services to the Maldives will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace."

The Presidential Determination signed on September 7, was released to the press yesterday.

"You are authorised and directed to transmit this determination to the Congress…," Obama said in his memorandum for the Secretary of State.


It was not immediately clear as to what type of defence articles and services the US wants to provide to Maldives.

The presidential determination comes within a fortnight of India and Maldives agreeing to greater level of cooperation during the visit of the Defence Minister A K Antony to Male, the Capital of the island nation.

New Delhi plans to help Maldives set up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems.

Security experts fear that that island resorts could be taken over by terrorists. India is also providing a couple of helicopters to Maldives. The island nation is also on the radar of China, which according to some reports is keen to establish a naval base at one of its islands by 2010
 

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Maldivian Officials training in India

Wed, Oct 14, 2009

IN THE famous Operation Cactus in 1988, speedboats carrying some 80 officials of the People’s Liberation Organisation of the Tamil Eelam group landed in Maldives from Sri Lanka and tried to overthrow the ruling government in an attempt to establish a safe den for their liberation activities. With her Prime Minister in exile, Maldives turned to India for military aid. Rajiv Gandhi sent 1,600 troops to Maldives for help within 12 hours of the request.

Since the incident, Indo-Maldivian relationship has significantly improved with India promising military, educational, health-related aid to Maldives. As part of this memorandum, India had promised to train the Maldivian (coastal) police officials in Indian police training schools. Today, this pact has proven to be beneficial to 10 Maldivian officials. After a training programme in Indian police training units, some were at Mangalore to understand the Indian Coastal training while others at Karnataka Police Academy (KPA). In the past, Maldivian policemen had undergone special training programmes at Punjab, KPA and other places.

Training includes special programmes in disaster management, underwater training and the like. Post the 26/11 attack by terrorists who came in from the sea, there has been an apparent paradigm-shift in the coastal security system. India has always realised that the only path towards neighbourhood peace is to trust smaller countries around and to live in co-operation with others. However, in this case, there probably is a bigger strategic reason behind it. India in every sense is already helping countries like Bangladesh, and Bhutan- which depends on India for military, foreign and most abundantly economic and fiscal policy advice. India’s game plan of growing powerful is not apparent, but underlined. This probably is a reaction to China’s programme of national expansion- following the age-old tradition of fight between the dragon and the elephant.


Maldivian Officials training in India, a ploy?
 

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With an eye on maritime threats, India has finally finished the first phase of a security umbrella being built in Maldives with the installation of the third coastal radar system in the island country. The development assumes significance in the wake of increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean region. Indian officials in Male confirmed to The Indian Express that with the third radar in place, the first phase of setting up a robust coastal radar system in Maldives was now complete. A top official said, “It would be very beneficial for Maldives National Defence Forces to track ships and fishing boats and would provide added security in the Maldives Exclusive Zone.” The first radar was fitted at the southernmost Addu city’s Gan island in 2007, but New Delhi took a serious note of maritime security threats after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and re- evaluated its strategic needs. After the assessment, a second radar was installed in the northern island of Uligamu in 2012. Following this, governments changed in Male and New Delhi. While Abdulla Yameen’s government took over in 2013, Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014. Officials said that although there was a “re-calibration” of ties between the two countries, New Delhi and Male agreed to go- ahead on the strategic plane. They said that despite a perceptible shift in Yameen government —as it is seen to be shifting towards China — Male had assuaged New Delhi on strategic concerns. This, claimed officials, formed the backdrop of the installation of the third radar system in the central island of Kadhdhoo. “Last week, the third radar system was handed over to the Maldivian armed forces,” an official said.


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India finishes phase one of Maldives radar system
 

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Thiruvananthapuram to host joint military exercise between Indian Army and Maldivian National Defence Force

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sixth joint military training exercise involving the Indian Army and the Maldivian National Defence Force will be held at Military Station here from from August 31 to September 13. A total of 45 Marines from the Maldivian National Defence Force and 45 soldiers of the Indian Army will take part in the exercise titled "Ex-Ekuverin 2015", a defence release said here today. The bilateral annual exercise, which commenced in 2009 in Belgaum, is alternately held in India and Maldives with the aim of enhancing military cooperation between the two countries and increased understanding between the Indian Army and Maldives National Defence Force. The exercise is the first joint one involving an international contingent to be conducted in Kerala capital. The concluding phase of the exercise, incorporating a tactical exercise, will be witnessed by senior military officers from both the countries, who will review the standards achieved by both the contingents, the release said.

Thiruvananthapuram to host joint military exercise between Indian Army and Maldivian National Defence Force
 

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