U.S.–INDIA MARITIME COOPERATION: THE STRATEGIC UTILITY OF NAVAL ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

The United States and India both perceive China’s growing military might and assertive foreign policy as a threat to their national strategic objectives, a realization that is driving the two nations toward a close defense partnership with naval cooperation at its center. Although U.S. leaders have embraced naval cooperation as the most promising way forward, no readily available study of how U.S.–India naval cooperation bears on U.S. interests exists as a guide to further U.S. strategic objectives in the region. There is a lack of synthesized information regarding the topic to aid those involved in crafting and implementing U.S. policy. This thesis fills that gap by answering the question: Why should the United States advance naval cooperation with India? The research identifies the underlying factors driving the United States and India toward a closer defense partnership and examines the utility of advancing U.S.–India maritime cooperation. It also offers various ways in which U.S.–India maritime cooperation might aid the United States and India in furthering their respective strategic objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. This research directly benefits U.S. leaders by providing them with a clear assessment of the utility of U.S.–India naval cooperation as they navigate the complexities of the growing U.S.–India defense partnership.