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विज्ञान आणि तंत्रज्ञानGS3
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Indian Navy Maritime Surveillance and Grey Zone Warfare Challenges

Source:The Hindu ↗

हे का महत्त्वाचे आहे

This article addresses contemporary national security paradigms, specifically 'grey-zone warfare' and maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, which are core themes of the UPSC Civil Services Mains GS3 syllabus under Internal Security and Defence Preparedness.

सारांश

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called upon the Indian Navy to enhance its maritime surveillance capabilities to effectively counter emerging grey-zone warfare challenges in the Indian Ocean and wider Indo-Pacific region. He stressed the importance of indigenous technological upgradation, robust maritime domain awareness, and adapting to non-traditional security threats.

मुख्य मुद्दे

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the need for the Indian Navy to upgrade its maritime surveillance and operational capabilities to counter rising 'grey-zone warfare' challenges.
  • Grey-zone challenges refer to hostile actions that fall short of conventional open warfare, complicating deterrence and response frameworks.
  • The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is experiencing increased geopolitical competition and non-traditional security threats, requiring robust maritime domain awareness (MDA).
  • Emphasis was placed on indigenous defence manufacturing (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and technological advancements like AI and autonomous systems for future naval readiness.

महत्त्वाच्या संज्ञा

Grey-zone warfare

Coercive state behavior that deliberately operates below the threshold of conventional armed conflict, employing ambiguous, deniable, and gradualist tactics like maritime militia deployments, cyber operations, and economic coercion to alter the status quo.

UPSC context

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 (Security Challenges and Management in Border Areas): Tests understanding of evolving non-traditional threats and hybrid security paradigms in the Indo-Pacific.

Source
Maritime domain awareness (MDA)

The capability to maintain real-time, comprehensive situational awareness of activities, vessels, and potential security threats across maritime zones of national interest through integrated sensors, radar networks, and intelligence sharing.

UPSC context

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 (Security Challenges): Essential for evaluating India's coastal security architecture, blue-water capability, and Indo-Pacific geopolitical strategies.

Source
Indigenization of technology

The process of achieving self-reliance in military hardware and technology through domestic research, design, development, and manufacturing, reducing dependence on foreign defence imports.

UPSC context

UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 (Economy/Defence): Core focus area under Make in India in Defence, testing India's strategic autonomy and industrial base preparedness.

Source

पूर्वपरीक्षा सापळा

grey-zone challenges refer to hostile actions that constitute conventional open warfare across contested maritime boundaries.

Aspirants often assume grey-zone warfare is synonymous with conventional naval blockades or open armed conflict, whereas it deliberately stays below the threshold of war.

संबंधित स्थिर संकल्पना

Internal Security & Defence Preparedness

What are the key pillars and components of India's Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) architecture?

  • IFC-IOR: Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR): Established in Gurgaon to coordinate white shipping data and share maritime intelligence with partner nations.
  • NC3I Network: National Command Control Communication and Intelligence (NC3I) Network: Links operational centres of the Navy and Coast Guard across the coastline and island territories for real-time situational awareness.
  • Coastal Radar Chain: Coastal Radar Chain: A network of static radar stations along the mainland and island territories to monitor near-coast traffic and prevent asymmetric maritime infiltration.

आंतर-विषय नमुने

  • Grey-Zone Warfare & Comprehensive National Security

    Grey-zone warfare relies heavily on cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and information operations alongside maritime militias, testing the limits of traditional military doctrines across multiple ministries.

  • Defence Indigenization & High-Tech Supply Chains

    Building indigenous naval platforms (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) reduces import dependence, directly linking defence preparedness with fiscal deficits and high-tech supply chain security.

Grey-zone warfare definition + Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) mechanisms like IFC-IOR likely to be tested in Prelims or Mains GS-3.

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