troubled waters ENERGISING COASTAL SECURITY Cmde Sujeet Samaddar, CASE FOR A NM (Retd) TERRITORIAL NAVY The Indian coastline of 7516 kms has been open to various man-made and natural threats ranging from terrorism to The writer retired as the tsunamis. The Government has taken the initiative to Principal Director Naval bolster the coastal security by financing fairly sophisticated Plans. He served NOVA Integrated Systems – A equipment, machinery and weapons. Most of this equipment, TATA Enterprise as Vice except for the Indian Navy’s Sagar Prahari Bal, is operated President (Operations) until October 2011. by marine police and the other agencies where the necessary He has worked as the training, expertise and maintenance infrastructure is Director and CEO, ShinMaywa Industries missing. Creating and even duplicating these India Limited. organisations would be an avoidable expenditure. Territorial Army was raised in 1920 through when required.’ A recent advertisement for enrolment the Indian Territorial Act of 1920. This force into the TA seeks applicants from ‘gainfully employed comprised of ‘The Auxiliary Force’ for the young men for an opportunity of donning the uniform and Europeans and the Anglo-Indians; and ‘The serving the nation as Territorial Army Officers, based on AIndian Territorial Force’ for the Indian Volunteers. After the concept of enabling motivated young men to serve in the Independence, the Territorial Army Act was passed in a military environment without having to sacrifice their 1948 and the Territorial Army was formally inaugurated primary professions. You can serve the nation in two by the first Indian Governor General C Rajagopalachari capacities – as a civilian and as a soldier’. The concept is on 9 October 1949. The Territorial Army (TA) is part of the to have a second line of trained manpower that can assist regular Army and its present role is ‘to relieve the regular the Indian Army in securing rear area static organisations, Army from static duties and assist the civil administration provide logistics, engineering and communications, rear in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance echelon support whilst the regular Army is operationally of essential services in situations where the life of the deployed at the frontiers. As a concept, it also inculcates communities is affected or the security of the country is discipline, fitness and military values in ordinary citizens threatened and to provide units for regular Army as and in the service of the nation. December 2016 DEFENCE AND SECURITY ALERT 31 troubled waters ENERGISING COASTAL SECURITY and the setting up of a Remote Operating Station (ROS) at Kochi and Porbandar and the Regional Operating Centre (ROC) at Mumbai have been undertaken. Post operationalisation of the coastal surveillance network near gap free electronic surveillance of upto 25 nautical miles from the Coast would become feasible. • Installation of Vessel and Air Traffic Management System for all offshore development areas by the Ministry of Petroleum supported with the Immediate Support Vessels (ISV) for offshore security by the Ministry of Petroleum and the Indian Navy. A financial outlay of` 1579.91 crore was provided for the next phase of the Coastal Security Scheme and this is due for completion in FY 2015-16. With this, another 131 Marine Police Stations, 60 jetties, This seeks to provide broad inputs for 10 marine operation centres, 180 (12 Ton) boats, 35 RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats), 10 large vessels the formation of a Territorial Navy (A&N), 131 Jeeps and 242 motorcycles would be which would supplement the Navy added to the coastal security infrastructure. and the Coast Guard Adequate Technical Manpower From the foregoing, it is evident that substantial This article proposes that the time is ripe for the investment and efforts have been made towards creation of a Territorial Navy on similar lines as the building credible and deterrent security architecture Territorial Army to meet coastal security and gain several to secure India’s coastal frontier. The worrisome issue advantages as enumerated in the following paragraphs. is whether these expensive assets are professionally Post Mumbai developments and in the recent past, a manned to maximiseoperationalising of the assets slew of measures have been initiated towards improving and infrastructure to derive the best benefit of the coastal security. These include various measures for investments. The following points are relevant: organising and authorising various Central and State • Whilst the surveillance infrastructure is professionally agencies with the mandate to address coastal security managed by the Coast Guard, the operation of the matters under the overall command of the Indian Navy. vessels and the equipment therein are with the Some of these measures are: marine police trained by the Coast Guard. • Creation of a 1000 strong Sagar Prahari Bal with • The afloat asset base consists of sophisticated boat an initial Force level of 80 Fast Interceptor Craft and machinery such as the Twin Screw Arneson in addition to the earlier contracted 15 FICs. The Surface Piercing (ASD) Propulsion System with SPB is responsible for force protection, security of auto pilot steering, Emergency Steering Post, ‘Rolla’ naval assets and co-located vulnerable areas and Propellers and suitable reversible gear box; an vulnerable points. electronics suite that includes a navigation radar with • Under Phase 1 of the coastal security scheme - 73 console, GPS, echo sounder, satellite communication, Coastal Police Stations, 97 Check Posts, 58 Outposts VHF sets; a hull which is a single piece GRP mould, and with assets comprising 120 (12 Ton) and 84 (5 a weapons package which includes the LMGs, Ton) boats,10 inflatable boats, 153 Jeeps and 312 SLR, Carbines, Pistols and the Flares together Motor Cycles . Manpower has been provided to the with ammunition all of which require maintenance States and the Union Territories with training being and careful usage. These are highly sophisticated undertaken by the Coast Guard. A financial outlay equipment and though easy to operate requirea fair of `495 crore for non-recurring expenditure and ` amount of technical competence to even carry out day 151 crore for recurring expenditure towards fuels, to day repair and maintenance. Also, fresh inductees repairs and maintenance had also been sanctioned cannot be entrusted to lead operations and captain • A Coastal Surveillance Network has also been these boats. Therefore, unless the HR resource is implemented by the Ministry of Shipping, Road addressed, these valuable assets would soon be Transport and the Highways in coordination with non-operational. Hence, there is an undeniable need the Coast Guard, consisting of a chain of 36 radars for professional staffing of these assets. on mainland and 10 in island territories, 84 remote • The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) sites with electro-optic sensors and a comprehensive in its 2015 report has highlighted that the objective network chain of Automatic Identification System of securing the coastline of the State of Orissa (AIS) stations have been operationalised in the first through the establishment of the Marine Police phase. In Phase-II of the project, 38 Remote Radar Stations and sea patrolling was not achieved, despite sites, 8 Mobile Surveillance Stations, integration of the financial assistance from the Government of the 21 Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) India under the Coastal Security Scheme (CSS). In sites of the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat a meeting on coastal security chaired by the Union 32 December 2016 dsalert.org @dsalert Home Minister Rajnath Singh, it was suggested population, the NSS and the NCC cadets of each that since marine policing was a ‘specialised job’, a coastal district and organised under the guidance of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) may be raised for Indian Navy, could be involved in multiple ways in patrolling coastal waters and other related duties. nation building including: The proposal was supported by some other coastal a. Skill India which would impart basic nautical, States or the Union Territories and the Union Home technical and security skills to these volunteer Minister agreed to examine it. The February 2014 youth of the coastal districts for dealing with coastal report on the CSS had also recommended the security and emergencies. raising of a Marine India Reserve Battalion (MIRB). b. Start Up India by which workshops and services required to maintain the assets of the Territorial PM’s “Blue Economy” Navy could be undertaken by local youth of the The Prime Minister’s address during the International coastal districts Fleet Review (IFR) highlights the importance of the c. Promote a well-directed Swachh Bharat Abhiyan development of the coastal regions and districts. Prime by disciplined and trained youth to address and Minister Modi stated that ‘An important part of India’s educate people on coastal pollution and protection transformation is my vision of “Blue Economy” in its of mangroves. widest sense. The Blue Chakra or the wheel in our National d. Promote federalism and coordination between the Flag represents the potential of the Blue Economy. An Centre and the State through a Navy sponsored IT essential part of this pursuit is the development of India’s network as part of the Digital India programme for coastal and island territories but not just for tourism. better coastal management with the Territorial Navy We want to build new pillars of economic activity in providing the ‘on ground’ interface. the coastal areas and in linked hinterlands through sustainable tapping of oceanic resources. Strengthening Proposal our marine research, development of eco-friendly marine It is proposed that the coastal security assets owned industrial and technology base, and fisheries are other by various agencies are operated and maintained by elements of our goal. In this endeavour, I see the youth in the Territorial Navy organised on the same lines as the the coastal areas as our true assets.