Asean: Waves of naval expectations

The geography of Asean as a regional grouping of nations is noticeably maritime. For archipelagos i.e., Indonesia and the Philippines, the sea is an integral component of their respective national profile. Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam depend to a great extent on the sea for their trade interests. Even the less maritime-based Myanmar and Cambodia and landlocked Lao PDR rely on the sea for national income.

Naturally, many issues confronting the Asean have a maritime dimension. Among these are piracy, smuggling, human trafficking, illegal fishing and territorial security. These issues brought to fore the unequal levels of naval capabilities in the region. Singapore has the most sophisticated navy especially at maritime surveillance and modern war-fighting capability. The other countries are only capable of operating within their own coastlines.