In News:

India is participating in the fourth edition of the multinational naval exercise La Perouse, hosted by France in key maritime straits—Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok. The Indian Navy's INS Mumbai, an indigenously built guided-missile destroyer, represents India.

Key Highlights:

• Participating Countries: Navies from India, France, Australia, USA, UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Canada.
• Objectives:
  • Enhance maritime situational awareness.
  • Promote tactical interoperability through joint training.
  • Conduct surface warfare, anti-air warfare, air defence, and VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) operations.
  • Strengthen cooperation on maritime surveillance, air operations, and information sharing.
• Significance:
  • Demonstrates commitment to a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific.
  • Reflects India’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
  • Counters increasing presence of Chinese naval forces in the Indo-Pacific.

Strategic Location: Key Straits in Focus

• Strait of Malacca
  • Connects: Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) to South China Sea (Pacific Ocean).
  • Geography: Lies between Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, near Singapore.
  • Significance: One of the world’s busiest trade routes.
  • Choke Point: Narrowest part (Philips Channel) is only 2.8 km wide.
• Sunda Strait
  • Connects: Java Sea (Pacific) to the Indian Ocean.
  • Between: Java and Sumatra (Indonesia).
  • Challenges: Volcanic islands (e.g., Krakatoa), shallow depths (20–100 m).
  • Importance: Secondary maritime route, strategic in times of congestion in Malacca.
• Lombok Strait
  • Connects: Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.
  • Between: Bali and Lombok islands.
  • Depth: 250–1,300 meters – suitable for large vessels.
  • Unique Feature: Part of the Wallace Line, a major ecological boundary.