The Indian Ocean Region was facing threat from non-state actors, pirates and terrorists and new strategies and tactics were needed to deal with them, a senior Navy officer said here.
"The region is also subject to a variety of security threats to peace and stability. Indeed, today's most pervasive threat comprises non-state actors and included among these are traffickers of drugs, arms and human beings. To add to these, we have to deal with poachers, mercenaries, terrorists and modern-day pirates," Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Robin Dhowan said here.
He was addressing a National Maritime Foundation seminar here.
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"This not only requires working out the new century's security environment, combat strategies and tactics but also dictates a review of the capabilities being sought," the Navy Vice Chief said.
In an apparent reference to the presence of Chinese Navy in the region, he said "we are also witnessing an ever increasing presence of extra regional navies and multinational forces in support of the US-led operations in the IOR."
"It is my view that maritime cooperation should be collective in character and there is a need to take shared responsibility. Sensitivities of one and all need to be respected and each nation's interests need to be carefully balanced," Dhowan said.
The Navy Vice Chief said the "oil arteries of the world flow through the Indian Ocean Region and "any impediment to the free flow of energy resources could have a profound effect on regional as well as global economies."
"Ensuring energy security is, therefore, a major maritime challenge of common concern," he said.
