It is fair to say that every Indian admiral I spoke with represented his own school of thought, but I sensed two broad strategic factions, which I dub the Soviet School and the British School. This division recalls not only the perceived operational disparity between the Eastern and Western fleets (the former long considered the "Russian half" of the Indian Navy; the latter the "British half") but also the difference between a land-oriented great power's strategic employment of naval force and that of a sea-oriented one.
Not surprisingly, most of the British School admirals I met had studied at the U.S. Naval War College. Conversely, I could discuss my love for Russian poetry - in the original - with those of the Soviet School. I further subdivide each school into two wings: those admirals who believe the Indian Ocean "belongs" to the Indian Navy (and not to any "meddlesome outsiders," including the U.S. Navy) and those who believe the Indian Navy "belongs" to something larger - typically, the collective good of global maritime security.
Which path? Describing a then up-coming Naval Commanders Conference it was written:
The last decade has seen an increase in the presence of extra regional forces in the Indian ocean, in terms of both numbers and capability. This trend is likely to continue in the foreseeable future and the maritime security environment would only become more complex, more fluid and significantly more challenging. This would be an area of focus during the conference to ensure the Indian Navy remains operationally focused force, capable of dealing with changing environment of the 21st century.(source here)
Thus far I haven't been able to find any reported results of the Conference.
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