A retired National Maritime Security Coordinator has emphasized the urgent need for a united, multinational approach to address escalating maritime security challenges. Speaking at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar (Retd) highlighted that collaboration is not just an option but a necessity for a secure maritime environment. He called for enhanced regional capacity building, strengthened capabilities, joint operational efforts, and real-time information sharing to combat threats, including the deliberate or accidental damage to critical undersea communication cables.
The Vice Admiral underscored the immense economic significance of the maritime domain, noting that approximately 80% of global trade relies on sea routes, contributing substantially to national GDPs. He also pointed to other vital blue economy sectors such as fisheries, offshore energy extraction, seabed mineral exploration, and the critical infrastructure of ports and harbors. The livelihoods of millions, like India’s vast fishing fleet, are directly dependent on a healthy and secure ocean.
Beyond traditional threats like piracy and smuggling, the maritime landscape is now fraught with evolved dangers. These include sophisticated maritime terrorism, and increasingly, direct attacks on commercial shipping using missiles and drones, even far from shore. The vulnerability of undersea cables, essential for global communication, was also highlighted, with instances of them being severed.
Illustrating the complexities, the Vice Admiral cited the Gulf of Aden, where undersea cable disruptions are frequent. While some are intentional, a significant portion, over 60%, result from accidental anchor dragging by merchant vessels. This risk is amplified in narrow, shallow waterways like the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a crucial chokepoint for Asia-Europe trade.
Furthermore, the growing intensity and frequency of cyclones pose recurring humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) challenges across the region. These environmental factors, coupled with persistent issues like Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, necessitate a coordinated response. The inherently transnational nature of maritime issues means that incidents in one area can have widespread repercussions.
To foster domestic coordination, India has established a National Maritime Security Coordinator to unify agency efforts. The core message remains clear: building collective capacity, sharing intelligence, conducting joint operations, and safeguarding vital seabed infrastructure are paramount. Without robust collaboration, the seas that power global economies could become their greatest vulnerability.