Navy – Air Marshal's Perspective

September 3, 2025

736 : DISTRIBUTED MARITIME OPERATIONS: APPLICABILITY IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT

Article published on the IIRF website on 03 Sep 25.

As India has emerged as a rising maritime power in the Indo-Pacific, the Indian Navy needs to protect its vast sea interests from advanced threats, with China being a significant threat with highly advanced anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Rising long-range precision missiles, advanced sensors, and cyber warfare erode the traditional naval formation. Therefore, it is necessary to learn new concepts. The U.S. Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) approach offers a model for India to enhance its maritime strike capability, operational flexibility, and survivability in contested areas, such as the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It is prudent to consider the principles of DMO, their applicability to India’s maritime environment, operational shift, technological enablers, challenges, and strategic implications, and how India can leverage DMO to advance its interests and increase its maritime influence.

The Strategic Environment for India

India’s oceanic space is vital to its economic and security requirements, with 90% of its volumetric trade and 70% of its value trade transiting the IOR. The region contains key chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait, critical for world trade but susceptible to A2/AD measures by competitors, who have increased their naval presence by way of bases in Djibouti and Gwadar. China’s reconnaissance-strike complex, including anti-ship ballistic missiles such as the DF-21D, over-the-horizon radars, and space-based surveillance, challenges India’s power projection and freedom of navigation.

Initiated by the U.S. Navy in 2015, DMO offers a template for India to respond to these challenges. By distributing naval forces, linking them in strong networks, and creating flexible command arrangements, DMO conforms to India’s requirement for a flexible, resilient navy able to manoeuvre in contested seas. DMO is consistent with India’s maritime doctrine, which is centred on sea control, power projection, and regional cooperation through ventures such as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

Core Principles of DMO & Relevance for India

Dispersion with Networked Integration. Dispersal of naval resources across the IOR lowers the chances of detection. India’s warships, including aircraft carriers such as INS Vikrant, destroyers, and frigates, can patrol vast geographies and stay networked with secure C4ISR systems. This facilitates synchronised attacks and situational awareness, imperative in contested regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Decentralised Command and Control (C2). DMO prioritises mission command, enabling naval commanders to take quick tactical judgments, crucial for swift responses in evolving situations, e.g., prospective conflicts in the South China Sea or Arabian Sea. This decentralisation helps India better exploit the rapidly changing opportunities with its larger opponents.

Lethality in Distribution. India’s increasing inventory of long-range weapons, including BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, can be plugged into DMO’s “kill webs,” enabling distributed forces to deliver coordinated attacks. This is debilitating without centralising troops, which is essential to counter enemy anti-ship missiles.

Operational Resilience. By spreading capability across manned and unmanned systems, India can take losses without paralysing operations. Continuity is ensured through backup systems, essential for sustained operations in prolonged conflicts.

Integration of Unmanned Systems. Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), unmanned surface ships (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) can add to India’s sensor and strike capabilities. Initiatives such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) development of unmanned systems fall within the ambit of DMO’s focus on autonomous platforms.

All-Domain Synergy. DMO’s multi-domain approach bridges India’s naval operations with air, space, cyber, and land resources. Integrating with the Indian Air Force and Indian Army, and space assets, enhances collaborative operations and conforms to India’s transition towards tri-service integration.

Operational Framework for India

Historically, India’s maritime operations have been focused on carrier battle groups, such as those commanded by INS Vikramaditya. DMO alters the focus to a networked fleet system, with destroyers, frigates, submarines, and drones operating as nodes in the IOR. For instance, a DMO context could be a destroyer off the Arabian Sea coast, a P-8I Poseidon flying over the Bay of Bengal, and unmanned platforms off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, all communicating in real-time to synchronise a missile attack on an enemy fleet.

India’s Andaman and Nicobar Command, which is a tri-service command, and similar structure on the western islands, can serve as a hub for DMO, like the U.S. Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). Islands with forward bases can accommodate sensors, anti-ship missiles, and logistics, advancing India’s presence in contested seas and depriving enemies of sea control. This multi-layered approach makes the enemy fight from all sides, increasing India’s strategic depth.

Technological Enablers

DMO implementation is based on leveraging and building the most important technologies:-

- C4ISR Systems. India’s Naval Communication Satellite GSAT-7 and GSAT-7R will provide robust communications. Coupling with Tactical Data Links (as Link 16 of NATO) can improve data exchange between platforms, essential for network operations.

- Unmanned Systems. DRDO’s work with UAVs and USVs for naval surveillance aligns well with DMO’s emphasis on autonomous platforms. Investments in UUVs in the future can enhance underwater reconnaissance and strike capabilities.

- Long-Range Precision Weapons. The long-range BrahMos missile and future hypersonic variants enable distributed forces to strike from considerable ranges. Platform integration with the Scorpene-class submarines enhances DMO’s capability to strike.

- Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can process sensor data, assist in autonomous operations, and augment decision-making, minimising the burden on Indian naval operators in intricate scenarios.

- Cyber and Electronic Warfare. India’s growing cyber capabilities, such as the Navy’s Information Warfare divisions, can jam adversary systems and networks, while electronic decoys defend Indian forces.

Implementation Strategies

To achieve DMO, the Indian Navy can focus on:-

- Force Design. Maintain a balanced force structure. Invest in small, nimble platforms like the Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) and unmanned vessels to augment larger vessels, increasing fleet adaptability.

- Technological Development. Expedite DRDO’s unmanned systems efforts and invest in jam-resistant, secure communications for A2/AD environments.

- Doctrinal Evolution. Revise India’s Maritime Doctrine to include DMO principles, with a focus on networked operations and decentralised C2. Exercises such as MALABAR and TROPEX can hone DMO tactics.

- Training. Foster initiative-driven leadership through training initiatives, training officers for decentralised decision-making in contested environments.

- Regional Cooperation. Enhance interoperability with friendly foreign countries and other IOR navies, incorporating DMO principles in joint exercises and operations.

Challenges

Implementing DMO poses a number of challenges for India:-

Communications Resilience. Enemy cyber and electronic warfare capabilities pose a threat to network stability. India needs to create backup, secure C2 systems for sustaining connectivity under hostile conditions.

Sustainment Logistics. Resupplying scattered forces over the long and wide IOR calls for creative logistics, e.g., resupply ships autonomously or pre-positioning stock at locations such as Lakshadweep.

Technological Deficits. India needs to induce critical technologies in its defence production ecosystem. Urgent acceleration of indigenous development and cooperation with international partners is needed.

Resource Limitations. Limited budgets and other priority defence requirements could stall investments in new platforms, weapons, and networks.

Institutional Adjustment. The move to decentralised command schemes would necessitate significant training and institutional transformation.

Strategic Implications

The Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) framework greatly enhances India’s Indo-Pacific strategic interests by strengthening deterrence against Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) approaches. DMO’s enduring and lethal operational reach demonstrates power in the face of A2/AD threats, thus complementing India’s deterrence posture and communicating its capability to counter aggression effectively. In addition, the DMO’s flexible architecture aligns with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy, fostering maritime security cooperation with countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Through the dominance of key trade routes and chokepoints, DMO also protects India’s economic interests by facilitating an uninterrupted supply chain in the IOR and enhancing regional stability.

Future Outlook

As India develops its technological prowess, DMO can be enhanced to incorporate AI-powered battle management, autonomous swarming strategies, and space-based sensors. Friendly countries’ collaborative efforts in the mutual development of unmanned systems can speed DMO adoption. Activities such as MILAN exercise and bilateral patrols in the IOR can be used to experiment with DMO ideas, enhancing tactics and coordination. DMO could redefine India’s naval force structure in the long run, with a focus on networked, nimble platforms, aligned with global naval warfare trends.

Conclusion

Distributed Maritime Operations give India a new way to counter A2/AD threats and exercise maritime dominance in the Indo-Pacific. By dispersing forces, drawing on network integration, and building dynamic command structures, India can increase its naval survival and effectiveness against sophisticated opponents such as China. Though aspects related to communication resilience, logistics, and technology gaps would challenge the implementation of DMO, it nevertheless serves India’s strategic interests and overall vision for the Indo-Pacific. The Indian Navy can leverage DMO to protect its maritime interests and shape the direction of maritime warfare in a contested space by implementing doctrinal changes and promoting regional cooperation.

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Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from reliable and accurate sources. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for wider dissemination.

References:-

Military Strategy Magazine. (2025, May). Distributed Maritime Operations, logistics, industry, and American strategy in Asia.

Guevara, J. (2025). Sustaining the fight: Challenges of Distributed Maritime Operations. Center for Maritime Strategy.

Filipoff, D. (2024, June). Distributed Maritime Operations: Solving what problems and seizing which opportunities? Atlantic Council.

U.S. Naval Institute News. (2024). Report to Congress on Navy Distributed Maritime Operations.

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December 4, 2024December 4, 2024

548: AIRPOWER PROJECTION FROM AIRCRAFT CARRIERS: ENHANCING MARITIME CAPABILITIES

Pic Courtesy Net

My article published in the News Analytics Journal (Dec 24)

Maritime aviation refers to using military aircraft by naval forces to extend their reach and effectiveness in maritime operations. It encompasses various roles and responsibilities, including reconnaissance, air defence, anti-submarine warfare, strike missions, and search & rescue. Naval aviation is crucial in maintaining a nation’s maritime security and projecting power over the seas. Aircraft Carriers are large warships equipped with a flight deck for on-board aircraft. They are mobile airbases, allowing navies to project air power far from their home bases. The carrier-based aircraft are specially designed to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. They include fighters, bombers, early warning aircraft, and helicopters.

Employment of Carrier-Based Airpower. Carrier-based airpower has been pivotal for nations to project strength, maintain regional stability, and respond to crises worldwide. With their unique mobility, flexibility, and force projection capabilities, aircraft carriers allow them to exert influence across vast oceans and landmasses, often far from their borders. Carrier-based airpower enables nations to demonstrate strength and exert control in distant regions without relying on foreign bases. Carrier-based airpower serves as a powerful deterrent. The mere presence of an aircraft carrier near a crisis area signals a readiness to escalate, which can compel adversaries to negotiate or de-escalate tensions. By deploying carriers to allied nations or engaging in joint naval exercises, Maritime powers reassure allies of their commitment to regional stability.

Distinctive Features of Carrier-Based Fighter Aircraft. Carrier-based fighter aircraft have unique design features and operational capabilities that enable them to operate from aircraft carriers’ limited space and moving platforms. These fighter aircraft are typically equipped with catapult hooks for rapid acceleration on take-off, allowing them to reach flying speed in a short runway distance. Some also have vertical or short take-off capabilities, like the F-35B’s STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) technology, enabling them to launch from carriers without catapult systems. Landing on a moving carrier requires extreme precision. Carrier fighters are equipped with a tail hook that catches on arrestor cables on the deck, allowing them to decelerate from high speeds to a complete stop in a very short distance. Carrier landings are much harder than land-based landings. Carrier-based fighters have rugged, reinforced landing gear and overall structural durability to withstand these impacts. Carrier space is at a premium, so many carrier-based fighters, like the F/A-18 Hornet, have foldable wings. This design allows more aircraft to be stored and manoeuvred on the carrier deck and hangar spaces, optimising space usage. Operating at sea, especially in saltwater environments, can lead to high corrosion levels. Carrier fighters are designed with corrosion-resistant materials and coatings to withstand harsh, moist, and salty conditions.

Carrier-Based Airpower Capability of the Indian Navy

The Indian Navy’s carrier-based airpower is critical to its maritime strength and regional influence. Focusing on enhancing blue-water capabilities and ensuring security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers and aircraft enable India to project power, conduct rapid-response missions, and engage in multilateral operations.

INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. INS Vikramaditya is India’s flagship carrier. It is a modified Kiev-class carrier acquired from Russia and commissioned in 2013. It is a STOVL (Short Take-Off but Arrested Recovery) platform, primarily operating MiG-29K fighters. INS Vikrant (IAC-1), India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, was commissioned in 2022. It’s also a STOVL carrier and can operate a similar air wing as Vikramaditya, enhancing operational flexibility and redundancy. The aircraft carriers are equipped to operate in the Indian Ocean and project power into nearby strategic areas, especially along vital maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca.

MiG-29K Fighter Jets. The MiG-29K is the Indian Navy’s primary carrier-based fighter. It is capable of both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. It is a multirole fighter with advanced avionics, sensors, and a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. The MiG-29Ks offer versatility for various missions, including interception, strike, reconnaissance, and anti-ship warfare. They are well-suited for the maritime environment and equipped with radar and infrared tracking for air combat. The Indian Navy is considering the Rafale M, the carrier-based version of the Rafale, to supplement or replace the MiG-29K soon. The Rafale M is a multirole fighter with air superiority, deep strike, and maritime strike capabilities. It would add significant combat capability to the fleet if procured.

Rotary-Wing Capabilities. Indian Navy carriers and other ships also host a variety of helicopters that support a range of missions, from anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search and rescue (SAR) to logistics and airborne early warning (AEW). Kamov Ka-31 helicopters are equipped for airborne early warning, providing surveillance and monitoring against aerial threats and helping to enhance the carrier group’s situational awareness. MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, recently acquired from the U.S., bring advanced ASW capabilities. These are equipped with sophisticated sensors, sonobuoys, and torpedoes to counter submarine threats, a critical role given the growing presence of submarines in the Indian Ocean.

Roles and Tasks. Carrier-based airpower allows the Indian Navy to control access to the Indian Ocean and deter hostile forces. Carrier-based aircraft and ship-borne helicopters can cover vast maritime areas, targeting enemy ships and submarines. The MiG-29Ks, equipped with anti-ship missiles and precision-guided munitions, enhance India’s offensive capabilities, allowing the Indian Navy to engage adversaries over the horizon. Carrier-based airpower allows for sustained surveillance over the Indian Ocean, a vast area monitored to counter piracy, terrorism, and unauthorised military activities. Carrier-based fighters are vital in defending the Indian fleet from aerial threats. The MiG-29K fighters, equipped with BVR (Beyond Visual Range) missiles, enhance fleet air defence capabilities and provide aerial cover for Indian naval assets, ensuring protection against hostile aircraft and missiles. These assets also support broader naval operations, including protecting shipping lanes, conducting interdictions, and supporting amphibious operations. Indian carriers have proven useful in disaster response and humanitarian missions. Their helicopters can quickly reach affected areas, delivering supplies, medical assistance, and evacuation support. This capability strengthens India’s ability to provide aid in the IOR, reinforcing regional influence and goodwill, which aligns with India’s role as a “net security provider” in the region. The Indian Navy participates in exercises like Malabar with the U.S., Japan, and Australia, using its carriers to enhance interoperability with friendly navies. This strengthens India’s operational experience and integration with regional powers, reinforcing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. These exercises also demonstrate India’s carrier capabilities and readiness, sending a strategic message to potential adversaries in the region.

Harnessing Ship-borne Airpower as A Game-Changing Force Multiplier in Future

Future Developments in Indian Carrier-Based Airpower. India is planning another indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-2) with advanced technologies, which would enable the use of heavier aircraft, potentially including UAVs and AWACS systems, and support greater operational flexibility. India is also developing the Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) to replace the MiG-29K eventually. HAL and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) are developing this indigenous fighter to meet future carrier-based combat requirements. The Indian Navy is also exploring the integration of UAVs for ISR and strike missions from carriers, enhancing reconnaissance capabilities and operational reach. The Indian Navy can transform its carrier-based airpower into a game-changing force multiplier by focusing on strategic and operational enhancements, technological modernisation, and optimised doctrines.

Enhanced Blue-Water Capability and Persistent Maritime Presence. By deploying carriers in critical chokepoints and key maritime zones, the Indian Navy can strengthen its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and South Asia, deterring hostile actions and reassuring allies. Consistent patrols and joint exercises with regional navies would signal India’s ability to respond to regional crises and project sustained influence, ensuring greater security across the IOR.

Force Multiplication through Joint and Network-Centric Operations. Integrating carrier-based assets with air and ground forces would enable seamless joint operations. This integration would allow carrier-based fighters to coordinate with land-based assets in maritime interdiction and rapid strike missions. A network-centric approach, with shared real-time intelligence and a secure data link, would enable Indian Navy carriers to act as floating command centers, coordinating strikes, reconnaissance, and ASW operations across a dispersed battle space.

Bolstering Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Capabilities. With rising submarine activities in the Indian Ocean, robust ASW capabilities are crucial. Enhanced ASW capabilities can be achieved by expanding the fleet of ASW Helicopters equipped with modern sonar, torpedoes, and sonobuoys. Deploying unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and UAVs, integrated with the carrier’s air wing for ASW surveillance, would create a layered ASW network around the carrier group, extending detection and engagement capabilities against adversarial submarines.

Integrating Long-Range Strike Capabilities. Equipping carrier-based aircraft with advanced long-range anti-ship and land-attack missiles, such as the BrahMos-NG and future Indigenous missiles, would enable carriers to strike targets over 500 kilometres away, beyond the line of sight. Long-range strike capabilities also make the carriers a credible threat to adversarial naval and ground installations, enhancing India’s maritime deterrence and extending its strategic reach in the Indo-Pacific region.

Utilising Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Persistent ISR and EW. UAVs like the Predator MQ-9B (currently operated by the Navy) and future indigenous models could be launched from carriers for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions. This would extend the carrier’s situational awareness by providing real-time surveillance across a larger area. UAVs equipped for electronic warfare (EW) would enable the Indian Navy to detect, jam, and disrupt enemy communication and radar systems, reducing adversary effectiveness in a contested environment.

Strategic Partnerships and Bilateral Naval Exercises. Regular joint exercises with allies, such as the Malabar exercises with the U.S., Japan, and Australia, would enable Indian carrier strike groups to practice complex multinational operations. This fosters interoperability and sends a powerful message about India’s commitment to collective security in the Indo-Pacific. Strategic partnerships also bring technology-sharing opportunities, enabling the Indian Navy to adopt best practices in carrier operations and leverage allies’ EW, ISR, and ASW technologies.

Expanding Multi-Carrier Capabilities. With the addition of the INS Vikrant and potential future carriers, the Indian Navy could deploy multiple carrier groups to different strategic areas or concentrate them in one for a more powerful deterrent. Multi-carrier capabilities enable excellent force projection and strategic flexibility, allowing the Navy to respond to simultaneous challenges across the IOR and enhance its role as a regional security provider.

Strengthening Doctrine and Tactical Flexibility. Developing an adaptive maritime doctrine for carrier-based operations focused on the Indian Ocean’s unique geostrategic demands will allow the Navy to respond to evolving threats rapidly. Adopting a mix of offensive and defensive tactics would help balance the roles of power projection and area denial.

Carrier-based fighter operations are among modern naval warfare’s most demanding and technically sophisticated aspects. They provide unmatched power projection, enabling navies to carry out a wide range of missions, from combat to humanitarian relief, often in the most remote parts of the world. The Indian Navy’s carrier-based airpower enables India to secure its maritime interests, provide regional security, and project power across the Indian Ocean. With ongoing modernisation, India aims further to enhance its carrier fleet and air wing capabilities to ensure dominance in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region.

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