The Indian Navy Navis in Mari Amissa: At a Crossroads in the Twenty-first Century

Abstract

This article hypothesises that the Indian Navy’s modernisation is directionless, the Latin phrase ‘Quod perierat navis’ meaning ‘a lost ship’ metaphorically representing the Indian Navy. While China’s naval expansion is set to revive great power naval brinkmanship in the twenty-first century, India’s naval modernisation appears rudderless without a critical appraisal of new challenges and countermeasures. This article hypothesises that this stems from the lack of an objective maritime doctrine resulting in a confused capability acquisition programme. The article puts forward three questions: First, is there a military strategy or white paper on India’s maritime threats and strengths? Second, is the Indian Navy bolstering its marine defences? Third, how might limited resources optimise capacities to meet challenges? To evaluate Indian Navy modernisation, this article will employ a qualitative method to explore the strategic objectives and utilisation of emerging naval technologies by the Indian Navy and its prospective rivals, and conclude by proposing suitable course corrections.