Indian ocean and the safety of sea lines of communication

Abstract

Sea lines of communication comprise the umbilical cord of a state's economy and the arteries of a region's economic health. During times of peace, they serve as commercial trade routes but during war, these routes are considered strategic pathways to keep the war machine fully oiled. Today, these routes are being threatened by piracy, drug trafficking, gun running, human smuggling, pollution, accidents, inter‐state conflicts and territorial disputes. None is independent of the other and failure in one often leads to failure in others. This calls for greater cooperation among states to enhance security and safety of maritime enterprise.