Indian Navy Adds More Aircraft Carriers to Counter China

By Purushendra Singh, Senior Warrior India-US Fellow

Aircraft carriers have long been regarded as of paramount importance to the geopolitical environment, with growing economic interests and security concerns. Aircraft carriers assume a dal role by not just holding military significance, but also playing a pivotal role during natural disasters, ensuring safe sea lines of communication and projecting power to deter adversaries. The Indian Armed forces are moving in the direction of modernization, expanding its strategic reach and securing the maritime interests. Given the threat on all sides, which includes significant threats in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. All part of the Indo-Pacific Region (IOR).

Hence, the need for having at least three Aircraft Carriers is imminent. Currently, India has one fully operational aircraft carrier, but aged another one is just a year-old commissioned. Third one on its way?

Need for Aircraft Carriers in the Indo-Pacific Construct

Though, India’s comprehensive maritime strategy, known as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) includes both security and development-related elements. It aspires to support regional connectivity, maritime security, and economic growth in the Indian Ocean region. Moreover, having India’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean makes its carriers key instruments in maintaining regional stability, safeguard its trade routes and cement India’s image as a responsible global player.

The region of Indo-Pacific from Africa to the Western Pacific is a region of opportunities, but it brings some challenges along with it. Some of these challenges are traditional but non-traditional challenges are more. Each stakeholder, whether from the region or outside the region faces these challenges. Some of them are common and some are individual. India is also one of such stakeholders, facing the following challenges:

China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean: By 2027, China is likely to operate at least one air craft carrier in the Indian Ocean Region. If India wants to remain as the central player in the Indian Ocean which is a strategically and economically significant ground for India, it has to exemplify the countries capability to engineer and operate complex platforms as nuclear-propelled aircraft carriers. Over the decades China is trying to place its foot in the Indian Ocean. Under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and String of Pearls strategy, China is focusing on the coastal neighbours of India. China’s ports in countries like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which are the immediate neighbourhood of India, are a matter of concern for India.

Another significant need to have aircraft carriers is the role they play in the times of natural disasters. For instance, in 2004 Tsunami – the Indian Navy’s carrier served as floating airfields offering agility required to swiftly deliver relief and assistance to affected and vulnerable regions of IOR.