India has options to resist Chinese encirclement efforts that rest on conveniently located island chains.
India doesn’t need to achieve military parity with China to become a problem. It simply needs to leverage its geographic advantages and the growing interest in cooperation from external powers like the U.S. This puts the spotlight squarely on the strategic godsend that are India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The islands stand between the Bay of Bengal/Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca. Anti-access/area denial weapons there would wreak havoc on China's sea lines of communication through that choke point.
And the islands provide a reason for America to support India. American help doesn't have to be that great with that shield; and India won't have to do everything by itself to hold the barrier. Britain, too, could find it's carrier task force can conduct operations with effect beyond its size behind that shield.
India is starting to get a sense of urgency:
At the height of the crisis in the Himalayas last summer, there were several calls in Indian media to put the Andaman and Nicobars to work, and India subsequently held naval exercises around the islands to signal to China that aggression in the Himalayas could backfire in ways that could truly hurt China. In August, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi deemed the islands’ development a strategic priority and announced a new development plan. The same month, India announced the completion of a submarine optical fiber connectivity project in the area. In October, a U.S. long-range sub hunter became the first U.S. military aircraft to make a refueling pitstop. In December, India test-launched supersonic anti-ship Brahmos missiles from the islands. In March, Japan announced a $36 million grant for the development of energy storage systems on South Andaman.
I noted India's sea escalation options during that crisis.
I've mentioned the value of that shield in the past.
Do read all of the Geopolitical Futures article.
