Recently, India deployed its Eastern Fleet flotilla to the South China Sea, and this marked a substantial escalation in the region's already tense geopolitical landscape. India's first-ever joint maritime patrol with the Philippines in these fiercely contested waters, indicating a clear strategic push against China's expanding influence, as cited by the US Naval Institute.
The flotilla, including the guided-missile destroyer INS Mysore (D 60), the anti-submarine corvette INS Kiltan (D 30), and the replenishment vessel INS Shakti (A 57), docked at the Port of Manila for goodwill activities ahead of the planned cooperative maritime operations.
India is expanding its role as a security partner in Southeast Asia; hence, this naval cooperation with the Philippines comes as a substantial and well-calculated effort. This step will also counter China's expansive territorial claims. US Naval Institute reports that Philippine Navy Captain John Alcos stressed the importance of these activities, noting the strengthening of a "robust maritime relationship" between the two navies. However, the operational details remain secret, likely to hide the expanding anti-China motive behind the joint patrols.
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Historically, the South China Sea has been a flashpoint, with China aggressively pushing its so-called "nine-dash line" claims, encroaching on the sovereign waters of neighbouring states like the Philippines. US Naval Institute highlights that this joint maritime cooperative activity goes beyond routine drills; it aims at force interoperability and sends a pointed message of support to the Philippines amid their ongoing territorial dispute with China.
Notably, India joins other major players like the US, Australia, Japan, Canada, and France in forming a coalition that challenges China's dominance in the South China Sea, as reported by the US Naval Institute. This growing bloc not only militarises the region but also undermines any possibility of peaceful resolution by ratcheting up tensions.
Coincides with the Philippine President's upcoming visit to New Delhi-
The US Naval Institute also points out that this development coincides with Philippine President Bongbong Marcos' upcoming visit to India. The visit will indeed boost and solidify the defence ties between the two nations.
India's 2022 sale of BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles to the Philippine Marine Corps is a direct provocation to China, especially since the missile base can target critical Chinese outposts like the Scarborough Shoal. As per the US Naval Institute, India's shift in stance regarding the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration, from mere acknowledgment to a call for strict adherence, reveals New Delhi's newfound willingness to confront China openly. Defence loans and military equipment offered to Manila demonstrate that India is no longer content to remain a bystander, choosing instead to actively partake in regional power struggles that threaten to destabilise Asia's maritime commons.
India's growing military presence in the South China Sea is less about “maintaining peace and stability,” as the Armed Forces of the Philippines describe it, and more about trying to contain China’s rise through bold military moves and building alliances.
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