With the strategic importance of the oceans and a rise in illegal fishing, India must invest in emerging technologies for Maritime Domain Awareness
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Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is a critical aspect of every nation’s maritime zone governance, both from a security and commercial point of view. The importance of MDA is even more apparent in India, due to its strategically important position within the Indo-Pacific and its proximity to China. In addition to its obvious strategic importance to the country, MDA is also acquiring prominence due to an increasing incidence of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in recent years. While existing surveillance systems employed by some of the wealthier nations may be an economic burden for developing countries like India, the onset of emerging technologies is likely to tip the balance and can go a long way in democratising MDA.
According to estimates, IUU fishing accounts for one in every five fish caught and results in US$26-s50 billion in economic losses worldwide. It also presents a global threat to ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. Additionally, IUU fishing has also been linked with labour abuse and gross violations of human rights. According to the IUU Fishing Risk Index, India ranks fourth among the top five countries with the worst performance in this domain, making it a particularly important issue.
While existing surveillance systems employed by some of the wealthier nations may be an economic burden for developing countries like India, the onset of emerging technologies is likely to tip the balance and can go a long way in democratising MDA.
Chinese presence in the Indo-Pacific is another concern for India. There has been a steady rise in the number of ships, submarines and other naval vessels, particularly in the South China Sea, through its Maritime Silk Road initiative, among others. The Indian Ocean rim, which comprises the East-African coast and the Persian Gulf is also becoming increasingly important for India due to its growing cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the emergence of Africa as a potential trading partner, with its abundance of increasingly important critical minerals.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was adopted in 1982 and governs the law and order, and uses of the world’s oceans and their resources. It demarcates 200 nautical miles from a nation’s coastline as its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) wherein it may exercise sovereign rights with respect to natural resources and certain economic activities. This, however, still leaves a large portion of the oceans beyond the jurisdiction of any particular country, rendering multiple areas under dispute. This also exemplifies the importance of MDA.
Due to the vast expanse of the oceans, and the inherent difficulty involved in monitoring them, MDA presents a difficult prospect for individual countries to pursue in isolation. Therefore, in addition to its own initiatives, India has opted to be a part of collaborative efforts like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’s (QUAD) Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) programme which was announced in 2022 to allow QUAD members to fully monitor the waters on their shores, aiding in ensuring peace and stability in the region.
Due to the vast expanse of the oceans, and the inherent difficulty involved in monitoring them, MDA presents a difficult prospect for individual countries to pursue in isolation.
While initiatives like the IPMDA have certainly been useful for India in expanding its MDA, the decision to exclude India from the P-8 data-sharing agreement by AUKUS due to the lack of interoperability exemplifies the inherent impediments in international collaboration and why India needs to bolster its own efforts in MDA. While this may have seemed like an arduous endeavour in the past, thanks to the rapid development of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum sensors, supplementing global efforts with indigenous ones is now a distinct possibility for India.
The rapid growth in technology over the preceding decades has been a significant boon for MDA. The gradual descent in the cost of low-earth orbit commercial satellites has boosted regular observation of the maritime domain. By employing technologies such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), electro-optics, radiofrequency detection and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), satellites are now providing a level of observational capability that was not possible through traditional ground-based observational techniques. Satellite data is also aiding with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), which are automatic signalling devices carried by commercial vessels. AIS enables the monitoring of vessels and managing of maritime traffic while avoiding ship-to-ship collisions. The HawkEye 360 system and the EU’s Copernicus programme serve exemplify the employment of these systems.
AIS enables the monitoring of vessels and managing of maritime traffic while avoiding ship-to-ship collisions.
Web-based information platforms and tools have also played a major role in enhancing MDA. These combine data from various sources like AIS and satellite data to provide a comprehensive picture of the oceans. The EU’s Indian Ocean Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) system and the QUAD’s SeaVision platform serve as prominent examples. This has also been supplemented by the establishment of fusion centres such as the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC – IOR) at Gurugram and crowd-sourced platforms like the SeaWatch app being tested in the Philippines.
Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) is an emerging, remote-sensing technology that utilises a pulsed laser to measure distances and map the surrounding environment. Bathymetric LIDAR uses green light to measure seafloor and riverbed elevations since it can penetrate water. The use of LIDAR thereby has the potential to significantly aid in MDA since it can be used for mapping coastal areas and water depth while providing real-time object detection at a level superior to traditional radars, which can help prevent collisions on water. Some frameworks for using LIDARs effectively in MDA have already been proposed.
In addition to its ubiquitous use in other fields, AI has implications for MDA as well. With the vast increase in data collection, human analysts can be supplemented with AI algorithms that are inherently more efficient at image recognition and identifying patterns in data. This can assist substantially in combination with web-based platforms and fusion centres. Data sources supplemented by AI algorithms can aid in the identification of “dark vessels,” by analysing the behaviour of vessels and predicting their activities. The Skylight system serves as a recent example.
Bathymetric LIDAR uses green light to measure seafloor and riverbed elevations since it can penetrate water.
The rise in autonomous systems and low-cost commercial drones has significantly reduced the cost of maritime surveillance. The integration of sensors such as AIS and IR cameras with drones has enabled the cost-effective monitoring of maritime regions. The development of underwater drones will also expand MDA and Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) in the future, including enhancements in seabed exploration and mining. Several countries in the Indo-Pacific, including China and the United States (US), have employed drones to augment their MDA.
Advancements in quantum technology (QT) may have a huge impact on MDA in the future. Quantum sensing-based GPS is more accurate than traditional GPS while also being usable in more areas. The possibility of developing quantum radars is also exciting in this context, since they could,in theory, be more accurate than traditional radars. For instance, The UK Royal Navy’s test on the XV Patrick Blackett has demonstrated the effectiveness of quantum navigation technology for maritime operations. Additionally, the use of quantum communication presents the possibility of establishing secure channels between military vessels and fusion centres which require a safe passage of data, thereby allowing further cooperation between different nations in the common pursuit of MDA. India is actively conducting research in this domain with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) having successfully demonstrated free-space quantum communication over a distance of 300 metres in 2023.
The use of quantum communication presents the possibility of establishing secure channels between military vessels and fusion centres which require a safe passage of data, thereby allowing further cooperation between different nations in the common pursuit of MDA.
Moreover, the convergence of these technologies can potentially revolutionise MDA by universally enhancing its accessibility. Integrating LIDARs, quantum sensors and radars with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and underwater drones represents one such possibility. These can substantially enhance both MDA and UDA. Additionally, AI algorithms can be used for image recognition and the processing of collected data.
India has made sizable progress in emerging technologies like AI, UAVs and QT. Startups have been particularly active in this regard. Encouraging convergence between these technologies by establishing synergy between the military, academia, startups and the government would be extremely beneficial to MDA. The DRDO’s Technology Development Fund (TDF) and the Innovations for Defence Excellence (IDEX) programme are important steps in this direction. For instance, the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) under IDEX has awarded startups based on their ability to devise solutions to specific military problems involving encryption, communications, radar systems and unmanned platforms. One of the DISC winners, EyeROV Technologies’ underwater drone for observation and repair also has commercial applications for the maritime sector and oil and gas companies.
The Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) under IDEX has awarded startups based on their ability to devise solutions to specific military problems involving encryption, communications, radar systems and unmanned platforms.
Another potential opportunity comes in the form of the recently established Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) under the National Quantum Mission (NQM). Four T-Hubs have been set up at premiere institutions across India under the NQM to foster greater collaboration between academia and industry. These can play an important role in achieving convergence between technologies. For instance, the Indian Navy and the Raman Research Institute (RRI), one of the institutions involved in the aforementioned T-Hubs, have already signed an MoU to develop secure maritime communications via the use of QT. Building on these initiatives would go a long way in enhancing India’s MDA initiatives and enabling the democratisation of its technologies.
Prateek Tripathi is a Junior Fellow with the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation
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Prateek Tripathi is a Junior Fellow at the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology. His work focuses on emerging technologies and deep tech including quantum technology ...
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