CDS Bipin Rawat vouched for free & open Indo-Pacific, dissuasive deterrence against China

As India’s top military chief General Bipin Rawat’s forty-three long years of undaunted military service to the nation concluded, and his tragic sacrifice in the cataclysmic Mi-17V5 helicopter crash is mourned globally, the former’s "dissuasive deterrence" against China's regional hegemony, daring “geopolitical confrontations,” and his ever-enduring commitment for open, free, and international rule-based Indo-Pacific will be looked back as the hallmark of South East Asia-inspired geopolitical strategy for global ‘Indo-Pacific framework.’

India’s First Chief of Defence General Rawat’s indefatigable efforts to modernise Indian military forces pushed for the advancement of defence equipment, and weaponry to withstand geostrategic competition in the Indo Pacific to counter Chinese belligerence, and the communist regime’s maritime expansionist agenda.

While openly challenging the People’s Republic of China on numerous occasions, late Gen. Rawat focused on strengthening India’s defence cooperation with South Asian powers and allies abroad such as the United States. During his service as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Rawat emboldened Indian troops in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and brought the country at front and centre to the US Indo-Pacific strategy. “India’s role is magnified, no doubt,” White House’s 2017 National Security Strategy document that outlined “US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific” obtained via SFIP’s public release, stated.

Late Chief of Defence Staff of India General Bipin Rawat with USA Army personnel during his visit to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Credit: PTI

Credit: PTI

India’s late CDS Bipin Rawat played a key role in maintaining stability and peace in the Southeast Asian bloc by driving interoperability between the Indian armed forces and the military troops of allies abroad, particularly Washington's. CDS, who passed away in a devastating air crash on Wednesday, focused on advancing the US-India defence partnership, and strengthened cooperation for India across new domains such as space, cyber, and emerging technologies, to ensure regional security in Indo-Pacific.

At the Global Dialogue Security Summit on 'Contesting the Indo-Pacific for Global Domination' organized by Global Dialogue Forum in partnership with Global Dialogue Review and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, India’s late Chief Defence Staff had asserted that India will be a 'dissuasive deterrence' to the regional threats. His tough remark came amid India's ongoing standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh for over 7 months.

CDS Bipin Rawat. Credit: PTI

‘This is India's century, many across world bullish about India’: Late General Bipin Rawat 

Making references to the belligerent moves by the Chinese People’s Republic Army (PLA) on the country's Eastern borders and the Indo-Pacific region, Gen Rawat had warned that the security of his land and borders were of ‘primary concern’. He had then shared his vision of developing integrated military structures and modernization programs to be undertaken by India’s armed forces “based on the correct assessment of the nature of threats and challenges.”  

The late CDS had stressed that partnering with like-minded nations such as —US, Japan, Australia, France, the UK, Indonesia, and Germany— “to ensure peace and stability in our region” had become more significant than ever, while he also laid emphasis on his defence strategy shift from a unilateral mode to ‘multilateral mode.'

China's rise as a military and economic power, Gen. Rawat had warned, has made the Indo Pacific region highly contestable, as he stressed military readiness, capability building and development of India’s defence forces to maintain the country’s strategic autonomy in the face of Chinese aggression.

General Rawat outlined the importance of the Indian Armed forces conducting joint bilateral training and engagements with partner nations “so as to fructify joint response in the future” against the regional threats in the Indo-Pacific. His vision was one of India rising as the regional superpower, and his quest was to build a stronger India with a peaceful and stable security environment via structured long time planning.

"We need to maintain strategic autonomy and cooperative relations with extra-regional powers, regional linkages. We need to build bilateral, trilateral and multilateral mechanisms like Japan, Australia and India (JAI), India-ASEAN, and similar existing mechanisms to have the right balance in our strategic autonomy” —late Indian Chief of Defence staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat. 

He then added, this is ‘India’s century,’ adding “many across the world are bullish about India. It has the talent, demographic dividend, and vibrancy of culture.” 

Gen. Rawat pushed for interoperability, laid groundwork with like-minded allies

During an Armed Forces' full honour arrival ceremony on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall where the late Indian CDS Gen Rawat laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, he met with US counterpart, General Mark Milley, whom he gifted a book titled The Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das. The late CDS discussed ways with which the US-India military could boost cooperation in training exercises to ensure regional security in Indo Pacific, as well as pushed for more opportunities to enhance the interoperability between the two militaries, Joint Staff Spokesperson Col. Dave Butler, at the time, briefed reporters.

Gen Rawat met with US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin where he reaffirmed India-US commitment to free and open Indo-Pacific. Austin had later described the meeting with Gen. Rawat as “historic,” adding that it was “an honour to meet Indian Chief of Defense Staff.” Austin then underscored US commitment to supporting the Indian Armed Forces’ transition toward greater institutional integration and operational jointness, and enhancing the opportunities for expanding multilateral cooperation between forces of two nations.

“India is an increasingly important partner in rapidly shifting international dynamics. I reaffirm our commitment to a comprehensive forward-looking defense partnership with India as a central pillar of our approach to the Indo-Pacific region,” US Defense secretary Lloyd Austin.

Gen. Rawat, India’s demised Chief of Defence Staff organized meetings with Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (US INDOPACOM) Admiral John C Aquilino to push for bilateral defence cooperation between India and the US to address issues related to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. US defence Chief Austin described India as central to Biden administration’s vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is “free, open, inclusive, anchored by democratic values and unconstrained by coercion, and one that sends an apparent message to China.” To achieve his goal of enhanced cooperation, Gen Rawat, during his military service, laid the groundwork with like-minded allies and partners that had a shared interest in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region.