India's interests lie in several offshore destinations.
Such as ? Please list out.
What will be needed to protect such interests militarily?
Nature of threat to such interests particularly military threats ? Remember what happened in Maldives ??
Time, distance and types of forces, Force Levels required to defeat such threats ?. Means you would not require a division to capture a Pakistani boat. And if Karachi is required to be captured by a division I might send them through Gujrat rather than more dangerious sea.
We have many strategic assets like our energy sources, our diplomatic stations abroad, our naval missions
Repeat the above questions in this context and provide answers there to . Is Navy the only answer to respond militarily to such contingencies or air assets also be required. Should those air assets belong to Airforce or Navy?
as well as our allies overseas (Singapore, Thailand) etc. We have currently no real way of protecting them, or responding to a threat in real time.
Again the same questions ? Who in your view can or is going to attack Thailand ? And what would be force level of attacker employed ? Will the attack be from sea or land or by air ? And why would India require separate Marine Corps for that ?
India should have a naval strike force with special infantry training.
What is that special military training?
In what time frame that training can be imparted ?
Will Indian Army's Infantry trained and put on a ship with support elements suffice?
Probably a corps level force with 2-3 divisions, having it's own light artillery, light armor, helicopter gunships and transport vehicles (naval, air and land).
You mean a force of 40,000 ? you say two divisions !!
How many ships would be required to carry this force?
How many support ships, aircraft careers and submarines, antisubmarine resources would be required to protect this force ?
How many aircrafts would be required to protect this force
What will this Corps size force do if China attacks our Northern borders? Sit in Vishkhapattanam ?
Ok -- I send them to Himalayas but mean while China also attacks Thailand ? Now what ?
These are my opinion, I would like to hear what others think.
try and answer these questions and you may get some answer yourself.[/quote]