India
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Conflicts - Tensions
India fortifying Andaman and Nicobar Islands amid concerns over PRC’s regional push
Mandeep Singh India is undertaking a major military and infrastructure buildup in its Andaman and Nicobar Islands as concerns grow over the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) activities in the strategic region. The Bay of Bengal archipelago of more than 800 islands, islets and rocky outcrops, of which fewer than 40 are inhabited, is about 1,200 kilometers from the Indian…
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Global Commons
PRC OKs massive hydropower dam across Himalayan gorge
FORUM Staff The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has approved plans for what would be the world’s largest hydropower dam on the lower Yarlung Tsangpo River despite concern that it would harm downstream communities and fragile landscapes in India and Bangladesh. Experts also say tectonic plates below the Himalayan mountains, where the multistage Medog Hydropower Station is planned, make the…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
CCP coercion stands in stark contrast to Coast Guard cooperation by Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff An increasingly aggressive coast guard signals the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) willingness to risk escalation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, analysts say. Meanwhile, like-minded nations are cooperating to uphold stability in the region. Rather than focusing on traditional law enforcement missions targeting smugglers or providing search and rescue, the CCP has militarized coast guard ships…
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Partnerships
India, Maldives strengthen maritime security ties to support regional stability
Mandeep Singh India and the Maldives have realigned their defense and maritime security partnership to foster deeper collaboration and enhance security across the Indian Ocean region. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive economic and maritime security partnership during Muizzu’s visit to New Delhi in October 2024. The strategic…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
At Malabar 2024, Quad nations promote maritime order for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff Australian, Indian, Japanese and United States naval forces concluded Exercise Malabar 2024 in mid-October with drills in the Bay of Bengal to promote the Allies and Partners’ collective planning and integration of advanced warfare tactics to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The 28th iteration of the exercise combined training in surface, subsurface, air and information domains, and…
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Partnerships
Malabar 2024 emphasizes protecting sea lines of communication, countering submarines
FORUM Staff The multinational exercise Malabar 2024, hosted by India, began October 8 in the Bay of Bengal with advanced drills among the navies of the Quad security partnership: Australia, India, Japan and the United States. The forces focused on anti-submarine warfare, maritime interoperability and enhancing regional security. The Bay of Bengal is central to vital sea lines of communication…
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Partnerships
India-Philippines defense talks focus on coproduction, maritime security
Mandeep Singh India and the Philippines further solidified their defense relationship during the fifth Joint Defense Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in Manila in September 2024. Co-chaired by Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Philippine Senior Undersecretary for Defense Irineo Cruz Espino, the meeting emphasized cooperation in defense production, regional security and strategic collaboration against a backdrop of shared concerns over…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Quad leaders to expand maritime security cooperation in face of PRC aggression
FORUM Staff Australia, India, Japan and the United States will launch joint Coast Guard patrols in the Indo-Pacific in 2025. The enhanced security cooperation will improve interoperability and boost maritime safety, the leaders of the four member nations of the Quadrilateral partnership, or Quad, announced after their late September 2024 summit in the U.S. The initial Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission…
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Partnerships
Inaugural Tarang Shakti exercise shows air forces’ interoperability for Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff Fighter jets from 10 countries gathered recently at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan, India, for the inaugural Tarang Shakti, the Indian Air Force-led exercise to foster multinational defense cooperation. The exercise’s second phase was from August 30 to September 14, 2024. It was designed to enhance interoperability in counter air, reconnaissance, airlift, air defense and close air…
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Global Commons
Indo-Pacific nations bolstering defense of undersea cables against emerging vulnerabilities
Tom Abke Data is omnipresent, and undersea cables are vital for transmitting everything from voice and video to financial transactions and confidential government communications. Recent incidents have highlighted their vulnerabilities, however, prompting Indo-Pacific nations to launch collaborative efforts such as the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, while also strengthening their individual capacity to monitor, protect and repair the…
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