The Indian Ocean And The Superpowers

This study focuses on the political and strategic implications of the presence in the Indian Ocean of the United States and the Soviet Union. The author examines the geopolitics of the region in historical perspective and describes the evolution of U.S. and Soviet strategy in the Indian Ocean. The central theme of the book is that the naval deployments of the superpowers should be seen in the context of each power's economic and security interests rather than in the context of military rivalry. The book provides an incisive and comprehensive account of U.S. and Soviet strategies in the Indian Ocean by establishing and integrating the links between the economic, political, and strategic dynamics of the situation.

(Note for Jacket--see Marketing File-so/10/26]The vast, politically turbulent region encompassing the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, forty-two littoral states, and one third of the world's population is one of the most potentially explosive theaters of superpower rivalry. In this study, three American and three Indian authors, reflecting different perspectives and areas of expertise, examine the principal factors that have led to the escalation of superpower tensions in the region: the war in Afghanistan, and its spillover into the Afghanistan-Pakistani borderlands; the Indo-Pakistani nuclear arms race; ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka; the Iran-Iraq war; Islamic fundamentalism; and the rapidly growing military presence of the superpowers in the area. Considering how India's emergence as a military power is influencing superpower and indigenous tensions in the region, the contributors compare Indian, American, and Soviet interests, and offer solutions for current Indian-American disagreements.

The paper focuses on the interaction between the presence of the superpowers in the Indian Ocean and the regional conflicts which have caused concern in the last decade. It first presents an historical survey of external involvement in the Indian Ocean and defines the region in its geographical context. Then, in a chronological assessment of the activities of the United States and the Soviet Union in the Indian Ocean region, it is shown how the Indian Ocean moved from being an area of low strategic priority, to one at the forefront of the strategic competition between East and West. Finally, the paper considers the impact of changing geostrategic circumstances on regional security relationships.