Conflict near the Strait of Hormuz and China's expanding naval presence have made the Indian Ocean more contested, raising the maritime security burden for India and the United States. To discuss how both countries can respond, ORF America hosted a closed-door roundtable on October 14, convening officials from the U.S. government, Indo-Pacific embassies, private sector, and think tanks.
Participants discussed various changes in Indian, U.S., and allied defense posture in the Indian Ocean, including the deployment of three U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups; the renaming of combatant commands; the buildout of infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Western Australia; China’s growing undersea capabilities; the progress of shipbuilding agreements; and the creation of new regional institutions like the Colombo Security Conclave.
The discussion also highlighted potential areas for U.S.-India cooperation such as improving real-time information sharing, making maritime infrastructure more resilient, implementing joint projects on undersea cables, and consolidating maritime security cooperation with Australia and Japan via the Quad.
Speakers
Dr. Vivek Mishra, Deputy Director, Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation
Nilanthi Samaranayake, Adjunct Fellow, East-West Center in Washington
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America
