GS Paper III

News Excerpt:

Recently, MV Ruen, a Malta-flagged merchant ship, was hijacked by unknown raiders in the Arabian Sea, sparking fears of the return of Somali pirates in international waters, amid troubling geopolitical uncertainty.

Key points:

• India’s shipping regulator, Director General of Shipping (DGS), has advised seafarers to take extra caution as incidents of piracy have seen an uptick after several years of relative normalcy, making international waters riskier for merchant ships.

Areas affected with maritime piracy:

• Malacca Strait, a major international shipping route, is also seeing many such incidents.
  • According to the DGS, there is “a larger pattern of maritime security concerns in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore which, as per International Maritime Organisation’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), has exhibited a sharp increase in incidents from 45 in 2019 to a peak of 83 in 2023.”
    • GISIS is developed, maintained and headed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
• The rise in conflict-related incidents in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea involving attacks using drones and missiles is a growing concern and poses serious risks, the Indian Navy said in one of its weekly updates through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

• • It not only jeopardises the lives of those onboard the ship but also poses a significant threat to maritime trade, cargo shipments and overall maritime safety in the region.

Maritime piracy incidents:

• Recently, two new hotspots have emerged. 
• Due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, a faction operating in the Red Sea – which is a typically safe area – has been firing projectiles arbitrarily. 
• Additionally, there have been two incidents involving Somali pirates, and one vessel has been hijacked.
• There was another incident on November 26, 2023 where armed men suspected to be Somali pirates boarded the tanker Central Park. 
• However, naval intervention through the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations ensured that the pirates were captured.
• According to people in the know, the last incidents of Somali piracy were nearly seven years ago, which sparked concerns in the maritime sector. 
• The regulator’s analysis pointed out that 63 incidents occurred while steaming in Territorial waters, while about 20 occurred in port limits for vessels at anchor.
• Since 2021, there has also been an increase in attacks from loitering munitions (LM), also called suicide drones, on both civilian and military targets, with merchant ships becoming notable targets.   
• These incidents, predominantly occurring in North Africa, the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea, are believed to be orchestrated by state actors using LMs.

Reasons for the recent maritime threats:

• Connections and intentions of attacks on ships in the Red Sea and IOR remain uncertain, given that vessels owned by multiple countries are being attacked.
• According to the DGS advisory, Global political instability continues to escalate, posing significant threats to maritime activities, especially shipping, commerce, and supply chains. 
• This heightened risk stems from various factors, including conflicts, territorial disagreements, cyber-attacks, the imposition of sanctions, piracy, and potential acts of sabotage. 
• Concurrently, the rising number of sea-borne migrants, drug smuggling using merchant vessels and a surge in stowaway incidents are creating severe security challenges worldwide. 

India’s steps for maritime security:

• The Indian Navy is a part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 39-nation group of naval forces looking at maritime security. 
• Indian Naval ships and aircraft are regularly deployed on ‘Mission Based Deployments’ in the Indian Ocean Region to enhance maritime security. 
• It also undertakes surveillance to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness and address contingencies that may arise.
• These are consistent with the Government of India's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) and the Maritime Security Strategy, which aims to position India as the "Preferred Security Partner" in our extended maritime neighbourhood. 
• India works proactively with regional Navies to strengthen friendship/cooperation and promote marine security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 
• Operational interactions with friendly foreign countries include activities like Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Surveillance, Coordinated Patrols on an annual/bi-annual basis along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), Maritime Exercises, etc.
• India participates in regional frameworks such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) to expand its cooperation and exchanges with the Indo-Pacific region.

Prelims PYQ

Q. With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)’, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2015)

1. It was established very recently in response to incidents of piracy and accidents of oil spills. 

2. It is an alliance meant for maritime security only. 

Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Mains PYQ

Q. What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve the maritime security. (UPSC 2022)