Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Friday said that more than 120 warships of extra-regional forces have been deployed in the Indian Ocean Region in support of various missions.
While delivering a keynote address at the Global Dialogue Security Summit, CDS Rawat highlighted the importance of the region, adding that so far, it has remained peaceful despite being under contestation.
"In recent years, China's economy and military rise coupled with competition to increase the influence in the region has attracted a great deal of interest. At present, there are over 120 warships of extra-regional forces deployed in the Indian Ocean Region in support of various missions. Till now, the region, by and large, has remained peaceful albeit under contestation," CDS Rawat said.
He also said that several countries in the region are looking to avail economic dividends from the region.
"Most of the countries in the region are seeking to reap the economic dividends through improved connectivity and harnessing blue economy for which infrastructure is a pre-requisite. Residents' powers and extra-regional power have shown a renewed interest in investing in infrastructure development in these countries to maintain and increase geopolitical influence," General Rawat said while speaking on the theme of "Contesting the Indo Pacific for Global Domination".
"In the military field, technology must be a means of deterrence not a source of destruction. Our approach to security hence needs to shift from unilateral to the multilateral mode which mandates increasing training engagements with partner nations in order to fortify future," he added.
He further said governance and security are under constant threat of being undermined by non-state actors and also naval competition among the states.
"Governance and security are under constant threat of being undermined by non-state actors and also naval competition among the states. To protect peace, prosperity and sovereignty it is important for us to keep a sea line of communication secure at all times with a stronghold on the security dimension of this region," General Rawat said.
