Understanding Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative

Maritime Domain Awareness as a Concept:

Joseph L. Nimmich and Dana A. Goward, in their paper Maritime Domain Awareness: The Key to Maritime Security, define MDA as “a process that collects, fuses, and analyzes data about activities in, and the conditions of, the maritime environment and then disseminates the data gathered and analysis results to decision-makers” [1]. Simply put, it is the ability to obtain information for threat detection that is analyzed to determine corrective action. This information is then relayed to the concerned command or the decision-maker. This entire process depends on technology that either exists or requires further development. For instance, the existing MDA technology includes cameras, radars, satellite imaging systems, etc. In contrast, future development of necessary technologies includes remote piloted unmanned vessels, UAVs that could operate at high altitudes for a prolonged time, and sensor-equipped aerostats and buoys [1].

The concept of MDA in itself is not limited to security and crosses into other domains like fisheries, trade, scientific research like marine biology, deep seabed mining, and installation of offshore wind farms, solar farms, and gas plants. Any nation focusing on the agenda of becoming a "Blue Economy" must be aware of all activities in the ocean to fulfill its interests. Such awareness can only come from monitoring both the ocean surface as well as the ocean floor. In order to ensure maritime security, nations are required to drive engagements that are well informed. To harness such actionable information, countries collaborate in sharing intelligence and technology. For instance, the trilateral security arrangement between India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka signed in 2013 as a maritime security framework can be considered an MDA framework as it focuses on carrying out anti-piracy operations, naval Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, and surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).

Therefore, MDA becomes an even more vital maritime security matter with military and economic implications for the Quad, i.e., Australia, India, Japan, and the United States of America. The Quad members being maritime powers in the Indo-Pacific region depend heavily on free and open access to sea routes for their survival, and threats to sea routes pose a direct threat to their national security.

The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative:

The Indo Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative (IPMDA) was announced at the Quad Leader’s Summit held on 24 May 2022 in Tokyo, Japan. The initiative keeping in focus the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia, seeks to develop a more accurate assessment of near-real-time activities in the region. Through this initiative, the Quad nations will enhance their maritime surveillance and information sharing across the Indo-Pacific and will allow the partner nations to monitor the waters to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. For this, the partner nations will have to pool their information and jointly develop and deploy their existing and emerging technologies to provide a “common operating picture which will integrate three critical regions – the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region – in the Indo-Pacific” [2]. The initiative will also surveil dark shipping, which is vessels that, in order to avoid detection from authorities, keep their transponder system called Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off. Further, the initiative will also enhance the abilities of partner nations to respond to humanitarian and climate-related issues. The growing strategic significance of the Indo-Pacific and Chinese influence, along with non-traditional security threats like environmental challenges, piracy, and illicit trade, serves as the prime imperative for such an initiative. MDA ensures an accurate picture of the waters and, therefore, is crucial for Quad nations as it is a “requirement for peace, stability, and prosperity ."Facilitating the littoral states with the near-real-time scenario of the ocean would ensure appropriate and swift responses, which will “transform the ability of partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores and, in turn, uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific” [2].

The joint statement released after the Tokyo Summit stated that through this initiative, partner nations would consult and cooperate with the Indo-Pacific countries and will work with the regional information fusion centres by providing both training and technology to support and enhance the IPMDA [3]. According to Prof. C. Raja Mohan, “the most important impact of the IPMDA is to reinforce the efforts of the Quad to be seen as a coalition providing public goods in the Indo-Pacific rather than a geopolitical gang-up to counter China” [4].

Implications for China:

Although the joint statements make no mention of any particular nation, it is clear that through the initiative, the Quad nations seek to counter China. China is known as the largest exploiter of global fishing and is responsible for 95% of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the IOR [5]. IPMDA will involve intelligence sharing among partner nations which would be crucial in countering the grey-zone tactics of China. Instead of resorting to weapons, China uses its economic might to influence its neighbors that don’t stand a chance against China and its resources. The same assertiveness is also projected on land, especially towards India. While IPMDA will not be sufficient to counter all Chinese grey-zone tactics, the intelligence-sharing will allow the Quad partners to deter any unlawful activities or misconduct from the Chinese side. For China, the IPMDA brings concerns that such an initiative will hurt China’s reputation on the international stage and that the information-sharing mechanism between the Quad nations will undermine its strategic interests [6].

Obstacles to the Initiative:

To make the IPMDA more effective, Quad will require interoperability which, unlike in the case of armed forces, will be challenging to achieve since a bulk of task in MDA is carried out by available technological equipment. The IPMDA is likely to face obstacles in this issue due to hardware dissimilarities. While Australia, Japan, and the USA are accustomed to working together, the challenge may not be very grave for them; however, it is India that is likely to fall short due to its hardware dissimilarities as procurement of equipment in India is done through multiple foreign and domestic suppliers.

Existing Infrastructure:

The IPMDA is a broad initiative that starts with successfully fusing and processing information that would allow the decision-makers to take appropriate actions. Regarding information sharing, India's Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), due to its very nature of collaborating with international partners, will be an effective tool for the initiative. The IFC – IOR was established in 2018 to invite key players in the Indian Ocean Region and foster cooperation by placing International Liaison Officers (ILOs). As of now, the ILOs placed in the center are from 10 partner countries - Australia, France, Singapore, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Japan, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. The IFC – IOR is ranked among the most successful regional maritime initiatives like the Information Fusion Center in Singapore and Maritime Information Center in Madagascar. Apart from personnel from the Indian Navy and the ILOs, the center also houses MDA analysts from civilian bodies. The center also releases Monthly Maritime Security Update (MMSU), Half Yearly Overview, and Annual Reports, which together form a comprehensive information source on multiple maritime issues [7].

Conclusion:

The IPMDA will integrate the navies of Australia, Japan, India, and the USA and will further enhance their naval capabilities in terms of surveillance, detection, and intelligence sharing. While official statements make no mention of China, the positioning of such initiatives gives a clear indication of countering China in the Indo-Pacific. As of now, the initiative has only covered the agenda of information sharing and capacity building; however, due to the naval component of the initiative, it is likely that Quad will pursue militarization of the initiative. The Indo-Pacific is becoming a hotbed for great power competition with powerful nations trying to gain their strategic foothold. In this scenario, it is important to address the ASEAN nations and their view on such developments. By contributing to the crucial responsibility of collection and dissemination of information for the larger initiative, India is likely to strengthen its own stand in the Indo-Pacific through the IPMDA.

Endnotes:

1.       Nimmich, L. Joseph & Goward, Dana A., Maritime Domain Awareness: The Key to Maritime Security, 

https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1160&context=ils

2.     Fact Sheet: Quad Leaders’ Tokyo Summit 2022,

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/23/fact-sheet-quad-leaders-tokyo-summit-2022/

3.      Quad Joint Leaders’ Statement, 24 May 2022,

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/24/quad-joint-leaders-statement/

4.     Mohan, C. Raja., (2022), India, the Quad, and Indo-Pacific Maritime Security, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore https://www.isas.nus.edu.sg/papers/india-the-quad-and-indo-pacific-maritime-security/

5.     2022, China’s Role in the Exploitation of Global Fisheries: Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47065/1

6.     Zhnag, R., (2022), The Quad, China, and Maritime Domain Awareness in the Indo-Pacific, Australian Institute of International Affairs https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/the-quad-china-and-maritime-domain-awareness-in-the-indo-pacific/

7.     Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region, Indian Navy, https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/ifc-ior/about-us.html

Pic Courtesy-Med J at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those fo the author and do nto represent views of CESCUBE.)