Shifting Scene

Some in the maritime security community are expressing concerns that the new, aggressive approach to combatting pirates in the Indian Ocean may have negative consequences for the overall counter-piracy effort.

The Indian Navy has been using a heavy-handed approach to dealing with pirates, and many question if this is a really a deterrent. While amateur, low-level pirates have been scared off by official military presence, the more networked and dangerous pirates haven’t been put out of business. They have instead moved on to clearer waters.

There is concern that pirates will just avoid patrols by changing locations, and that the aggressiveness west of India will just push them east into the Asia-Pacific region.