Security Challenges Along The Indian Ocean Littoral: Indian & Us Perspectives By C Uday Bhaskar, Kamlesh K Agnihotri Book Description The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is gaining strategic importance on the global maritime map. Besides connecting several important countries and being home to a very large proportion of the world's population, almost forty per cent of global seaborne trade and seventy per cent of hydro-carbon products transit this Ocean. The vastness of the IOR poses several security challenges and it is also widely accepted that a comprehensive focus on the spectrum of challenges is lacking. These include the problem of piracy, the possibility of renewed terrorism at and from the sea and the pervasive smuggling of people, narcotics and arms. This increased activity and volatility has forced India to look beyond the subcontinent to the larger periphery of the IOR. The United States is also deeply involved in its own security and stability operations along an arc - from the Red Sea to Pakistan. Speculation about China's future intentions in the Indian Ocean continues to grow since Beijing is deeply concerned about the potential disruption of its energy supply lines from the Middle East and Africa. This book contains a comprehensive overview of relevant and instructive perspectives of Indian and US security experts. It seeks to identify the key maritime security issues and explores the potential contribution which the Indian and US Navy can make in meeting these challenges. The avenues for greater cooperation between the two navies, to serve as a catalyst for wider cooperation along the Indian Ocean littoral have also been suggested. About The Author C Uday Bhaskar is the Director of the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi. A widely acknowledged security analyst, he is Contributing Editor of the South Asia Monitor and a regular columnist with Reuters. He was appointed Member Secretary of the Government of India Task Force on Global Strategic Developments, the report of which was submitted to the Prime Minister of India. Cmde (Retd.) Bhaskar served in the Indian Navy for 37 years. He was the Deputy Director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) from1996 till 2004, which he later headed till 2005. A prolific writer, Cmde. Bhaskar has edited several books on nuclear and international security issues. He is a regular contributor to several Indian and global journals. He also lectures at military colleges, including the Indian National Defence College. Kamlesh K Agnihotri is a Research Fellow at the China cell of National Maritime Foundation (NMF). He has worked in the China Desk at the Indian Army Headquarters, where he gained extensive insight on China, its armed forces and the complex nature of India-China relations. Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1986, Cdr. Agnihotri is a gunnery and missile specialist. He has several years of experience in various fleet ships and has commanded a ship in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry expert, he holds a Masters degree in Business Management. Cdr. Agnihotri has written several articles in the NMF Journal Maritime Affairs and commentaries in the NMF website. He has presented papers on subjects connected with China, in India and abroad. In addition to his research work, he is also learning the Chinese language.