The Indian Ocean: Why Diego Garcia Keeps Strategic Planners Awake

The Indian Ocean is India’s backyard, but there are a lot of guests staying over. Diego Garcia, a tiny island in the Chagos Archipelago, hosts a massive US military base. It’s a strategic asset that allows the US to project power across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. For India, it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, having the US navy nearby is a de facto deterrent against China’s naval expansion. On the other hand, it’s a reminder that we don’t have full control over our own region. India has been pushing for the ‘Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative’ to create an inclusive architecture. But let’s be honest: we don’t have the naval fleet to compete with the US or China. We are trying to be the ‘net security provider’ in the region, but that’s expensive. It requires aircraft carriers, submarines, and diplomatic capital that we are only starting to accumulate.