What happens in the Indian Ocean will define Indias strategic future, and that in turn will do a great deal to set Asias course in the Asian Century. David Brewster gives us a perfect guide to the forces shaping Indias role in the Ocean that bears its name. It is a lucid, lively, comprehensive and judicious account of one of the central strategic questions of our times.
Professor Hugh White, Australian National University
A knowledgeable India hand, David Brewster explores Indias maritime ambitions and provides an incisive assessment of its potential to wield influence across the Indian Ocean region. Amidst current speculation about turbulent regional geopolitics, this Antipodean study illuminates a zone of uncertainty and holds a mirror to Indians, laypersons and strategic thinkers alike.
Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy 200406
It is fashionable for strategic analysts to claim to understand Indias growing role and the increasing centrality of the Indian Ocean as a zone of geopolitical competition. It is also easy to assert that Indias domestic problems and troubled neighbourhood will forever hobble its maritime ambitions. In this book, David Brewster offers a convincing and carefully-researched alternativeoutlining a realistic trajectory for India as an Indian Ocean power. In so doing he explains the power relationships and the subregional dynamics that will determine how smooth or otherwise this course will be. This book fills an important gap for scholars and policymakers striving to understand how India will affect the Indo-Pacific strategic order in the 21st century.
Rory Medcalf, Director, International Security Program, Lowy Institute, Australia
This is an excellent contribution to understanding the power dynamics in the Indian Ocean, the bridge between Europe and Asia. It brings out the centrality of this ocean regionthe new global centre of trade and energy flowsand the key role India will play in influencing the regional order.
Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies, Centre for Policy Research, India
Indias Ocean
This book assesses Indias role as a major power in the Indian Ocean. Many see the Indian Ocean as naturally falling within Indias sphere of influence but, as this book demonstrates, India has a long way to go before it could achieve regional dominance. The book outlines the development of Indian thinking on its role in the Indian Ocean and examines Indias strategic relationships in the region, including with maritime South Asia, the Indian Ocean islands, East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia. The book then discusses Indias ambivalent relationship with the United States and explores its attitude towards Chinas growing power in the Indian Ocean. It concludes by discussing the regions evolving strategic orderdoes India have what it takes to become the leading power in the region?
David Brewster, a former mergers and acquisitions lawyer, is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and has written extensively on Indias strategic relations. He is also the author of India as an Asia Pacific Power.
Routledge Security in Asia Pacific Series
Series Editors
Leszek Buszynski, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, the Australian National University, and William Tow, Australian National University
Security issues have become more prominent in the Asia Pacific region because of the presence of global players, rising great powers, and confident middle powers, which intersect in complicated ways. This series puts forward important new work on key security issues in the region. It embraces the roles of the major actors, their defense policies and postures and their security interaction over the key issues of the region. It includes coverage of the United States, China, Japan, Russia, the Koreas, as well as the middle powers of ASEAN and South Asia. It also covers issues relating to environmental and economic security as well as transnational actors and regional groupings.
1 | Bush and Asia Americas evolving relations with East Asia Edited by Mark Beeson |
2 | Japan, Australia and Asia-Pacific Security Edited by Brad Williams and Andrew Newman |
3 | Regional Cooperation and Its Enemies in Northeast Asia The impact of domestic forces Edited by Edward Friedman and Sung Chull Kim |
4 | Energy Security in Asia Edited by Michael Wesley |
5 | Australia as an Asia Pacific Regional Power Friendships in flux? Edited by Brendan Taylor |
6 | Securing Southeast Asia The politics of security sector reform Mark Beeson and Alex J. Bellamy |
7 | Pakistans Nuclear Weapons Bhumitra Chakma |
8 | Human Security in East Asia Challenges for collaborative action Edited by Sorpong Peou |
9 | Security and International Politics in the South China Sea Towards a co-operative management regime Edited by Sam Bateman and Ralf Emmers |
10 | Japans Peace Building Diplomacy in Asia Seeking a more active political role Lam Peng Er |
11 | Geopolitics and Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia Ralf Emmers |
12 | North Koreas Military-Diplomatic Campaigns, 19662008 Narushige Michishita |
13 | Political Change, Democratic Transitions and Security in Southeast Asia Mely Caballero-Anthony |
14 | American Sanctions in the Asia-Pacific Brendan Taylor |
15 | Southeast Asia and the Rise of Chinese and Indian Naval Power Between rising naval powers Edited by Sam Bateman and Joshua Ho |
16 | Human Security in Southeast Asia Yukiko Nishikawa |
17 | ASEAN and the Institutionalization of East Asia Ralf Emmers |
18 | India as an Asia Pacific Power David Brewster |
19 | ASEAN Regionalism Cooperation, values and institutionalisation Christopher B. Roberts |
20 | Nuclear Power and Energy Security in Asia Edited by Rajesh Basrur and Koh Swee Lean Collin |
21 | Maritime Challenges and Priorities in Asia Implications for regional security Edited by Joshua Ho and Sam Bateman |
22 | Human Security and Climate Change in Southeast Asia Managing risk and resilience Edited by Lorraine Elliott and Mely Caballero-Anthony |
23 | Ten Years After 9/11Rethinking the Jihadist Threat Arabinda Acharya |
24 | Bilateralism, Multilateralism and Asia-Pacific Security Contending cooperation Edited by William T. Tow and Brendan Taylor |
25 | Negotiating with North Korea The Six Party Talks and the Nuclear Issue Leszek Buszynski |
26 | Indias Ocean The story of Indias bid for regional leadership David Brewster |
27 | Defence Planning and Uncertainty Preparing for the next Asia-Pacific war Stephan Frhling |