Maritime security must move beyond threat containment: Navy Chief
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
| Photo Credit:
Indrani Pal _12203
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Monday said maritime security can no longer be confined to the narrow framework of threat containment, stressing the need to view it as a dynamic and complex challenge in an era marked by shifting global alignments.
Speaking at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, being held at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from October 28 to 30, Admiral Tripathi described the maritime domain as “humanity’s oldest highway”, one that has long carried “commerce, culture, curiosity, and courage.”
“Across centuries, the seas have shaped the fortunes of nations and the future of humanity. They remain the truest measure of our shared destiny,” he said.
Citing German scholar Professor Rieckmann, Admiral Tripathi said maritime security today represents a ‘Dynaxic Challenge’ — one that is both dynamic and complex, demanding adaptive and cooperative responses.
He highlighted three currents that define this dynaxity.
First, commercial disruption. Global seaborne trade is showing signs of strain due to conflicts, coercion, or catastrophe. According to a recent report, global seaborne trade growth is projected to stall to 0.5 per cent in 2025 – a sharp drop from 2.2 per cent in 2024. Such contraction does not merely indicate slowed commerce; it signals strategic fragility, he stated.
Second, transnational turbulence. The seas are witnessing a surge in activities that blur the lines between competition, crime, and conflict. Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, arms and narcotics trafficking, and human smuggling have emerged as major maritime stressors, the Navy chief observed.
At the same time, smuggling networks are increasingly exploiting ungoverned maritime spaces and weak enforcement regimes to move narcotics, arms, and even sanctioned commodities, for financing terror networks and fuelling instability ashore.
The maritime domain thus mirrors the wider disorder of our times, demanding collective solutions that transcend jurisdictional and cartographic silos, he was of the view.
Third, technological acceleration. According to him, disruptive technologies have dissolved the traditional barriers of scale and sophistication. Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and commercial satellites are now reshaping maritime awareness and response strategies.
He also highlighted the expanding role of the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram, noting that it currently hosts 15 International Liaison Officers (ILOs). “Our aim is to enhance IFC-IOR’s capacity to host about 50 ILOs by 2028,” he added.
The three-day Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue, organised by the Indian Navy, has brought together naval officers, strategists, and experts from across the region to deliberate on maritime cooperation, security challenges, and regional stability.
Published on October 28, 2025
