Shreyas Shende
India’s full membership of the multinational U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), announced in November 2023, represents a step change in India-U.S. ties. India’s membership in the force — commanded by a U.S. Navy vice admiral — actualizes a scenario where a senior Indian naval officer potentially co-leads one of the CMF’s five combined task forces (CTF) with an American counterpart. India’s CMF membership allows it to build the sinews required for enhanced interoperability with other members and especially the United States.
India and the United States can build on this development in two ways: map avenues for enhanced interoperability, and prioritize areas where India, the United States, and other like-minded countries can deconflict.
The Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean
In the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) — a priority area for the Indian Navy (IN) — maritime partnerships are crucial to advancing India’s security objectives. The IN has a history of independently undertaking missions. However, the IN’s recent deployment in the Gulf of Aden to deter non-state actors underlines increased realization of the importance of the IN to work closely with other maritime powers. To this end, in mid-April, the IN conducted its first-ever mission operating under a foreign flag. In its first CMF mission, the IN interdicted the narcotics trade under the CTF-150, which is led by the Canadian Navy.
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