INDIAN OCEAN IN FOCUS
Col. R. Rama Rao
Sea Power and Strategy in the Indian Ocean by Alvin Cottrell And Associates Sage Publications, London/ Delhi, 1985, 148 pp., $ 20.00
March-April 1985, volume 9, No 3/4

This compact volume with an introduction by Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, former Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff, United States, consists of three essays. In the first one Geoffrey Kemp discusses ‘Maritime Access and Maritime Power, The Past, the Persian Gulf and the Future.’ The second by Admiral Robert J. Hanks and Alvin J. Cottrell deals with ‘The Strait of Hormuz: Strategic Choke-point’ and the third on ‘A Permanent Naval Presence in the Indian Ocean’ by Admiral Moorer and Alvin J. Cottrell, as is clear from the title, presents the case for a perma¬nent US naval presence in the Indian Ocean area.

Of the authors, Alvin Cot¬trell and Geoffrey Kemp are well known scholars, while the other two are distinguished former naval commanders. Admiral Moorer was also Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. Hence, they are well qualified to discuss USA’s needs of oil and of the importance of the Gulf from American strategic perspec¬tives. Likewise, from the per¬spectives of countries of the Indian Ocean littoral, especially of Non-Aligned countries, the analyses of US strategic in¬terests in the region ought to be equally valuable although they could perhaps be of some concern as well.

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