NEW DELHI: The United States has asked India to join a worldwide network to combat illegal activity on the high seas.

Talks are on to involve Russia and China, while many other nations have started implementing the "1,000-ship navy" concept, said a U.S. Admiral.

It was a brand name and "does not denote the requirement of ships. It is a concept for those willing to work together. As nobody can protect the oceans alone, it makes no difference whether the navies are big or small. They only have to be willing to do it," the U.S. Navy's chief of operations Admiral Michael Mullen told newspersons after interacting with the top Indian Navy leadership.

Close ties

It was up to India to recommend how many ships it would commit itself for global policing of sea lanes, a task that would have elements of the Proliferation Security Initiative. The bid to develop more intimate ties with the Indian Navy comes a month after the U.S. suggested closer bonds between the two air forces.

In March, a senior U.S. official, who met senior Defence Ministry officials, linked the efficacy of joint exercises with the Indian Air Force to commonality of equipment.

"If we fly the same plane, it becomes so much easier to develop tactics and doctrine," said Bruce Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary of Air Force at the USAF Headquarters.

The U.S. expects to discuss the 1,000-ship navy concept with Russia and is hopeful of a positive outcome on the basis of the previous interaction and joint exercises.

U.S. reservations

The proposal was broached with the Chief of the Chinese Navy and would be discussed again. However, the U.S. has reservations about China's military modernisation — "they are investing heavily in defence and are shifting focus from the land forces to the navy and air force. I am anxious to understand what it means strategically. Their intent is not clear."

The 1,000-navy concept "clearly has a sense of the United Nations" but not in terms of governance.

"The concept has caught on [quickly] because there is no treaty, no rules. But it is like the U.N. because it covers a vast number of nations. The barriers of entry are very low and that is why so many nations are participating."

Senior Indian Navy officials were "very receptive" to the proposal. Admiral Mullen said the "question is: can we figure out a way to implement [it] more quickly?"

U.S. not to be present

The U.S. would not be present in all regional policing initiatives.

Patrolling of the Malacca Straits, for instance, was left to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Previous examples of the "1,000-ship navy-type operations were participation of 170 warships in tsunami relief and the effort by 17 nations to evacuate their citizens stranded during Israel's aggression of Lebanon.

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