NEW DELHI: Buried 12 paragraphs deep in the joint statement issued at the end of the India-U.S. 2+2 dialogue earlier this month is a three-line paragraph that says less than what it means: “The Ministers welcomed India’s full membership of the multinational Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) headquartered in Bahrain.”
The CMF is a U.S.-led multinational naval force set up in 2001 initially to counter international terrorism. Today, its mission has broadened to cover piracy at sea, maritime security operations in and around the Arabian Gulf, security in the Red Sea and training. It comprises navies from 38 countries with India making up the 39th.
Senior Indian diplomats say it marks a major change in policy for India, which has always insisted that its participation in any multinational force can only take place if it is led by the United Nations.
“At the most we were okay with coordinated patrols where each naval unit operated under its own leadership,” a diplomat said, adding that “now it seems we are ready to submit our command and control to a structure that has nothing to do with the UN.”
But India’s membership of the CMF was on the cards given that for the last two years, it has been an associate partner in the CMF. The CMF is led by a U.S. Navy vice admiral, which indicates India’s readiness to allow a degree of integration with a foreign navy. Also expect a lot more data sharing which the Indian Navy will find very useful.
However, a senior retired naval officer said no Indian ship has yet been assigned to the CMF. He pointed out that India already has naval assets deployed in the Arabian Sea and it would be a simple matter to re-deploy for CMF duties whenever required. Whether this will be the norm going forward or a ship will be assigned to the CMF is not known.
The CMF operates through five task forces. India is part of Task Force 150 mandated for maritime security. Pakistan has been a long-time member of the CMF but is in a different task force. There was a time many years ago when India refused to join the CMF because of Pakistan’s presence in it.
India’s presence in the CMF also points to growing ties with the U.S. and the increasing comfort level of both sides. The Arab Gulf states are expected to welcome India’s entry given the close trade and energy-driven relationship. But what about Russia and China?
Nandan Unnikrishnan, who heads the Russia study programme at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), believes that Moscow has no leverage in this matter.
“Although it has interests in this part of the world, the Ukraine war has left them preoccupied. They also see that India’s hunger for technology and finance can only be satisfied by the United States. This is even more so when it comes to climate change technologies and finance.”
India needs the U.S. which is the policeman for the global commons. India also needs the U.S. when it comes to China. U.S. warships are now docking at Indian ports for rest, repair and maintenance.
Unnikrishnan adds that “Russia also believes that India is too big and too diverse to become an ally of the United States.”
The same may not be the case with China which has seen a steady uptick in India’s relations with the US: these include India signing four foundational agreements covering logistics support, communication security, securing military information and sharing of geospatial intelligence.
India is a member of the Quad and I2U2, which China sees as working to an anti-Beijing agenda. Add to that the IMEC, India Middle East Economic & Transport Corridor, which is clearly targeted at the BRI. China will draw its own conclusions.
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