A MARITIME STRATEGY

FOR SRI LANKA

Captain Akram Alavi, RWP, RSP, psc, MDS

““Strategy is inescapably both political Strategy is inescapably both political and military. Highly logical military and military. Highly logical military

strategy may be entirely impossible to strategy may be entirely impossible to execute because it violates the political execute because it violates the political constraints of the system within which it constraints of the system within which it

has to operate”.has to operate”.

Norman FriedmanNorman Friedman

The US Maritime StrategyThe US Maritime Strategy

INTRODUCTION

• The foundations for maritime strategy in the 21st century are laid on centuries of practice, but on only a relatively short period of analysis and theoretical examination.

• Today, we have a larger, theoretical understanding that builds on these earlier ideas for wartime maritime strategy.

• Our perspective has allowed us to go on to lay the foundations of theory for peacetime strategies of maritime power.

FOUNDATIONS FOR MARITIME STRATEGY

FOCUS OF MARITIME STRATEGY

• The fundamental focus of maritime strategy centers on the control of human activity at sea.

• There are two parts to this.– the effort to establish control for oneself

or to deny it to an enemy. – the effort to use the control that one has

in order to achieve specific ends.

SECURITY OF SRI LANKA

This derives from a combination of factors, including the maintenance of a highly competent naval force equipped with advanced technology and structured for unique geostrategic environment. The formulation of the defence policy or the doctrine should be governed by the following prime factors:

• Political objectives of the country.

• Threats to the security of the country.

• Economic resources of the country.

We are now in amidst of a transition from a focus on internal security to an external security. We should equip the forces with modern weapons and greater mobility, and develop air and maritime capabilities with modern platforms. The defence relations with India and other Asian countries will continue to be important, both for sustaining self-reliant capability for the defence of Sri Lanka, and supporting for wider regional security.

SECURITY OF SRI LANKA

METHODOLOGY

HYPOTHESIS

Formulating a maritime strategy for Sri Lanka is important in order to safeguard her maritime interests

and integrity in the region.

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY

The immediate purpose of a maritime strategy is to contest the control of the sea. The use of the sea for movement is itself the core of maritime strategy in its traditional sense. The most direct method of doing this is to seek out the enemy’s fighting forces and try to destroy them in some single massive encounter or decisive battle. The adoption of a maritime strategy has several important advantages. It provides a theme for tactical and technical development.

SEA POWER AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

•The Indian Ocean covering about twenty percent of the world ocean areas has consistently occupied position of pre-eminence unrivalled by the Pacific or the Atlantic.

•The Ocean figured prominently not only in the lives of people in the littoral countries, but also of the people of distant lands.

•The geopolitical prominence of the Ocean was intimately connected with the fabulous riches and spices of the Indies. The importance of spices in the distant past is probably surpassed only by the present day prominence of oil.

THE INDIAN OCEAN

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

A region of utmost strategic importance to the East and West, the Indian Ocean has become a focus of the new cold war confrontation. The strategic importance of the Indian Ocean has come to be recognized increasingly in recent decades. This recognition has been accompanied by growing militarization throughout the area, which has included naval build up both by the littoral states and the great powers. There are three aspects of the great power interest in the region:

• the strategic location of the ocean basin, • the existence of natural resources, especially oil • local rivalries.

THE SEA AS THE HIGHWAY

First railroads, then highways then aircraft have all moved people much faster than ships or riverboats, and due to the competition of jet airliners, ocean passenger ships have become very nearly extinct over the past two decades. However, goods still tend to travel by water, because such transportation is so much more efficient. The key issue is the capacity of the alternative means of transportation, in terms of tonnage delivered continuously per unit time.

SEA POWERSea power is the ability of a nation to exploit the oceans to its advantage. It consists not only the ability of exploiting the oceans commercially, but the strength to protect this ability from interference. Sea power is made up of following elements:

a. The strength of merchant fleet and the ship building capacity to sustain them.

b. The availability of ports and naval bases in adequate numbers and capacity with internal communications serving them.

c. The industrial capacity to sustain national economy through overseas trade.

d. The personnel to man the various instrument of sea power.

e. The capacity to safeguard sea borne trade and other maritime interest.

f. The maritime forces to enable a nation to impose its will on an enemy in war, to influence others in peace and to protect other elements of sea power.

GENERAL CONCEPTS• Deterrence

Deterrence is a strategic idea in commonplace. The idea is as old as strategy itself, by making military operation, to convince a potential opponent that military action will be unprofitable for him.

• Sea Command and Sea ControlThe reasons lie deep in the scale and nature of world relationships at sea. It is therefore beyond the bounds of possibility that at all times and in all places any power could be in a position comprehensively to impose its will on all goes on at sea.

• Sea Use‘The ability to use the sea’ is one definition of maritime power. Sea use in normal conditions can result in great economic gain, and great advantages for the states. The economic uses of the sea consist of trade and commerce on its surface, and exploitation of resources in its depth and subsoil.

• Sea Denial

Denial of the sea to one’s adversary has often been regarded as to be opposite of sea control for one’s own use.

THE MAHAN’S THEORY

The great naval strategist and theoretician Admiral AT Mahan emphasized that the ‘principal conditions affecting the sea power of nations’ were:

a. Geographical position.

b. Physical Conformation

c. Extent of Territory

d. Number of Population

e. National Character

f. Character of Government

THE ROLE AND TASK OF THE NAVY

SPECIAL CHARACTER OF NAVAL WARFARE

Naval warfare differs radically from land warfare. The area encompassed by any naval operation tends to be immense compared with that covered by a land battle, because ships are so mobile. The Naval forces have three key roles:

• Constabulary / regulatory role, • Territorial defence role and • Force projection at sea.

Navies of developed states normally perform these roles too, but the third world context gives them distinctive features. Third world navies are often much more involved in regulatory duties than are the navies of developed countries.

NAVY IN WARIn wartime, fleet battles and blockade of war fleets

have been the two traditional means by which one opponent has achieved control over another, preventing an enemy from interfering in its own use of the sea. there are many essential military uses of the sea for this purpose. Among the most important wartime functions are:

a. Protecting and facilitating one's own and allied merchant shipping and military supplies at sea.

b. Denying commercial shipping to an enemy.c. Protecting the coast and offshore resources.d. Acquiring advanced bases.e. Moving and supporting troops.f. Gaining and maintaining local air and sea

control in support of air and land operations.

NAVY IN PEACE

In peacetime, in operations short of open warfare, and in the non-war functions of naval power, many of which continue even during wartime. Maritime strategy involves a wide variety of other considerations. These may be categorized under three headings:

- The military role.

- The policing role.

- The diplomatic and international role.

a. Ensuring stability in trade and commerce and such economic activity, which are largely dependent on safe sea passage. b. Safeguarding a coastline of over 679 NMs and a sea area over 8 times the landmass. c. Protecting the entry and exit of over 4 million containers annually brought by ships, arriving or transiting via the Ports of Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee.d. Protecting the entry of approximately 350 shiploads of food, raw material and consumer items for the nation’s use and transhipment every month. e. Protecting International Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs) located along the Southern and Eastern coasts of the Island. f. Safeguarding the Traffic Separation Zone at Dondra Head, one of the busiest in the world.

ROLE AND TASK OF THE NAVY

g. The protection and exploitation of the following natural resources in the sea area of control, which greatly add to the state’s economic gains:

(1) The maritime fishing industry with emphasis on deep sea fishing and living / renewable

resources.(2) The non-living / non-renewable resources.

h. Maintaining safe communications of local shipping within the EEZ, against terrorism, sea piracy, gun running, drug trafficking, smuggling and illicit immigration and emigration. i. Protecting the environment and installations such as harbours, offshore rigs and structures and submarine cables. j. Sri Lanka being a littoral state can claim the sea area beyond the EEZ for the sovereign right of mineral deposits and certain Biological resources.

SRI LANKAS EEZ AND SAFEGUARDING ITS

RESOURCES

The world economy will depend increasingly on the vast and largely untapped wealth of the oceans. Since the Third United Nations Conference on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) of 1982, some nations have declared Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) around their coastlines, within which the country has sovereign rights for exploration, exploitation and management of natural resources.

EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE

Sri Lanka being an Island nation, our lives have been linked with the sea. The area of the Island is around 64,850 sq. kms. The Coastal area around the country is about 1600 kms. With an EEZ of 200 NMs extending towards the ocean, and the ocean area encompassing to the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka is about 8 times the area of the land mass.

There is a possibility exist for Sri Lanka to acquire an additional sea area which would be 30 times the area of land mass of Sri Lanka. However it is the duty of Sri Lanka to provide the reference points after conducting surveys. Consequently, the initial investigations began in 1999 and a 'desktop study' was compiled with the seismic information in the Bay of Bengal Sedimentary Fan.

THE EXTENDED EEZ

The potential continental shelf extension (blue areas)

EEZ

ADDITIONAL

EEZ

AREA

NOT DRAWN TO SCALE

SUBMEREED

MOUND

MARINE

RIDGEMARINE RIDGE

INCUBA

LIVING AND NON-LIVING RESOURCES

The wealth and resources within this vast area are enormous. Their exploration and exploitation will make Sri Lanka one of the richest countries in Asia. The resources are broadly:

a. Ocean bed minerals.b. Petroleum, gas and shale.c. Potential for energy generation (OTEC as well

as the emerging ocean current technology).d. Fishery resources.e. Rights resources including possible levies on

international shipping moving through this zone.

• It is important to access and manage these resources carefully after surveying them, mapping them out and formulating short, medium and long term plans for their: exploration, development, conservation and surveillance.

• Today we have new methodologies of science and technology using the full range of the electro-magnetic spectrum for making the basic survey measurements, using different remote sensing techniques. This will determine the both living and non-living resources.

• The task of exploration and exploitation of the living and non-living resources of the sea should include measures for prevention of other countries from exploitation of our resources. Thus it would also require maritime surveillance.

MARITIME SURVEILLANCE• Maritime Surveillance refers to the systematic

observation and monitoring of an area to detect and deter violators of specific offences or rules.

• The effectiveness of it depends on three paramount capabilities viz. detection, identification and near real time transmission for analysis and the effectiveness of enforcement depends on the ability to inspect and apprehend offenders.

• The most efficient and cost effective platform for the surveillance of this large seaboard is a Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (LRMPA) with night operation capability and state of the art surveillance equipment outfit.

PROTECTION OF THE RESOURCES • The needs of offshore control are radically

different from those of land-based policing. Prior setting up an offshore control organization, a detailed assessment must be carried out of the assets within the EEZ and of the risks, which have to be guarded against.

• There may be mineral resources, hydrothermal vents, deep cur-rents, historic wrecks and other unknown features worth exploiting.

• The protection of resources needs similar careful analysis. The organization needed to control an EEZ and especially the equipment used to exercise control depends critically on the geographical and hydrographical nature of the area.

PROPOSED MARITIME STRATEGY FOR SRI LANKA

• The Sri Lanka Navy should continuously seek to maintain a naval strategy to achieve its designated role as required by the State.

• Article 2 (4) of the United Nation’s Charter which clearly prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.

• Sri Lanka’s history has shown that the following factors could be considered in formulating naval strategies.

A MARITIME STRATEGY FOR SRI LANKA

a. The danger that could come across the sea, from beyond territorial limits.

b. As the coast can be considered the island’s frontier, coastal surveillance should be undertaken.

c. The maintaining of strategic alliances with neighbouring countries, but with caution that mutual relations are not strained which could lead to conflict.

d. The landing of sea borne troops to be employed in internal conflicts.

e. The landing on unfamiliar foreign shores when necessary, only after careful study and planning.

f. The protection of Trade and Commerce with the use of sea power.

g. The containment of enemy incursions by sea or his escape from land.

h. The effective denial of safety and logistics to enemy shipping.

i. Not displaying ‘expansionist’ ambitions but yet not being intimidated.

The immediate purpose of maritime strategy is to contest the control of the sea at least to some degree. Whilst preparing the naval fleet to face any asymmetric threat like the threat posed by LTTE, we must prepare to maintain surveillance and carry out various tasks in the EEZ and around our coast. Some of the areas suggested for this process are as follows:

IMMEDIATE PURPOSE OF MARITIME STRATEGY

a. Enhance SLN Fleet to carry out various tasks within EEZ with more endurance and range of operation whilst improving the inshore security.

b. Formulation of a Coast Guard Force with integrated Deep Water System.

c. Assist the agencies that are carrying out research and development in the ocean around Sri Lanka.

d. Protect and safeguard sea lines of communication within the area of jurisdiction.

e. Improve the weapon outfit and sensors of SLN fighting ships and craft with enhanced ranges and fire control systems.

f. Improve maritime surveillance capability in liaison with the SLAF and Indian navy.

g. Obtaining assistance from India in joint patrols.h. Maintain an Auxiliary / amphibious / sealift

capability to a desired degree.i. Improve defences and development of ports.j. Improve Intelligence gathering mechanism by

obtaining assistance from foreign countries and satellites along with other high tech sensors.

k. To develop a tactical picture around our country combining all sensors such as ships, aircraft, satellites, fishing vessels, merchant ships, shore based radar stations.

l. Modify training methods and contents based on lessons learnt and to be in par with the latest development in science and technology.

m. A proper analysis should be carried out by a high level team after each battle or an incident to find out the lapses and to improve own fighting efficiency. A record has to be maintained and their observation, findings, recommendations has to be brought to the notice of the relevant personnel concerned.

n. Adopting of Maritime Confidence building measures such as sharing general information on doctrine, policies, and force structures.

o. As far as the sea warfare is concerned, Army, Navy and Air force strategies have to merge and should bring a closer affiliation, which should reflect in a joint approach to maritime strategy.

The ocean area around Sri Lanka lies within some of the major international shipping routes across the Indian Ocean. It is the responsibility of the SLN to maintain an effective surveillance of this vast ocean area in respect of following:

– Maintaining Freedom of Navigation in sea lines of communications.

– Prevent maritime pollution.– Prevent poaching and smuggling.– Prevent sea piracy.– Protection of agencies exploiting ocean

resources. – Ensure maritime safety.– Salvage and search and rescue.– Assistance in maritime research.

VIABLE FLEET FOR THE SRI LANKA NAVY

At sea, a naval force that is even slightly inferior will usually be defeated decisively by and inflict little damage on superior enemy. The ideal fleet for Sri Lanka navy could be a composition of flowing squadrons of ships and craft:

– Offshore Surveillance Squadron.– Fast attack Craft Squadron.– Auxiliary Squadron.– Inshore Patrol Craft Squadron.

OFFSHORE SURVEILLANCE SQUADRON

• In modern naval combat, effective scouting is the key to effective weapon delivery. The needs of offshore control are radically different from those of land based policing. This may not be as simple as it sounds. The agencies and authorities involved in offshore activities would be undertaken, to assess the facilities already available, such as means of command and control, surveillance, communica­tions and data handling. On the equipment side additional ships and air­craft may be needed for law and order enforcement. The patrol vessels with tactical data links can be used to transmit data through a shore­based gateway or ground entry terminal, to the database of, the integrated radar system. Navy’s requirement on corvettes as the high point in the many forums.

FAST ATTACK CRAFT SQUADRON

• Naval warfare centres on the process of attrition. Attrition comes from the successful delivery of firepower.18 In recent past FAC were mainly responsible for most of the enemy craft destruction and they will remain as vanguard of the Navy. It has been experienced that weapon outfit of FAC were incapable to cause destruction to the enemy. The weapon out fit has to be continuously tested and the capabilities and shortcoming to be observed by team of experts. History shows us naval battles are hard fought and destructive, but high morale and courage in combat always depend on superior machines. Therefore SLN should in possession of well­fitted FAC for outwitting or outfighting a unequalled enemy..

AUXILIARY SQUADRON

• Although Sri Lanka has extensive road network, sea transportation remained as cheapest means of transportation of cargo for various destinations. Amphibious capabilities of Sri Lanka navy will remain as an important element of the fleet when transporting troops and equipment. Sri Lanka being an Island nation amphibious element of our fleet should remain strong and capable to react to urgent requirement of army even without major amphibious operation. The auxiliary squadron may remain as the workhorse of the navy. During the latter part of 1980s the SLN was able to acquire amphibious capability and carry out successful amphibious operations since then.

INSHORE PATROL CRAFT SQUADRON

• Owing to continuous harbour security and inshore patrol requirements, demands for Inshore patrol craft will remain unchanged. Recently Sri Lanka Navy has started a new project to built Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC) locally. The local builders should be encouraged to build IPC with lesser length and with high speed. The weapon outfit for the IPC needs to be reviewed considering the threat perception of the enemy.

CONCLUSION

The Sri Lanka Navy should be structured to maintain a favourable maritime situation and carrying out all the tasks entrusted to her in an effective manner. In this process the Navy requires various platforms, weapons and sensors from various sources from time to time. The recommended platforms are Frigates, Offshore patrol vessels, Maritime patrol aircraft, minesweepers and Corvettes to carryout effective maritime operations in Sri Lanka. Now that the long drawn separatist war is over the Sri Lanka Navy can play even a greater role in maritime operations. The Sri Lanka Navy of tomorrow will therefore need to have a dual role, protection of her shores and seas. Navy’s future platforms, sensors and training will be catered for keeping the duel role of the future in mind.

Thank You