DPG Indo-Pacific Monitor
Indo-Pacific Monitor
Authors Commodore Lalit Kapur (Retd.)
Date: March 31, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mauritius on March 11-12. Ten years after unveiling India’s SAGAR initiative, he upgraded it to MAHASAGAR – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions – India’s broader vision for the Global South, encompassing trade, capacity building and mutual security.
The Indian Navy launched its IOS Sagar (an IN ship deployed in the Southwestern Indian Ocean with a combined crew from 10 IOR countries) and AIKEYME (a training exercise co-hosted by India and Tanzania for IOR countries) initiatives on March 24 as a follow-up to the MAHASAGAR vision.
The Indian Navy concluded the 2025 edition of its Theatre Level Operational exercise TROPEX. It also participated in exercises Sea Dragon (with USA, Japan, Australia and South Korea), Varuna (with France) and Indra (with the Russian Federation) during the month.
Responding to a high-intensity earthquake resulting in mass casualties in Myanmar on March 28, India launched Operation Brahma to provide disaster relief for Myanmar. Rescue teams, a field hospital and relief supplies reached Myanmar within 24 hours of the quake. Relief operations were continuing at month end.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited India from March 16-20. His talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi defined the future of the bilateral relationship, based on the defence forces building greater strategic trust, scientists collaborating on global challenges, improved trade cooperation, and greater mobility for students, young professionals and tourists.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made his maiden visits to Manila and Tokyo from March 28-30, strengthening the US posture in the Philippines and providing reassurance that the US defence relationship with Japan remained on a sound footing.
China announced a defence budget of about 1.78 trillion Yuan ($ 249 billion) on March 5. The amount is more than the spending of the next 22 largest militaries in the region, and represents an increase of 7.2% over last year’s budget.
The US Intelligence Community published its annual threat assessment on March 25. The assessment prioritised illicit drug actors, transnational Islamic extremists and other transnational criminals as the main non-state threats. Amongst state actors, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea were identified as threats.
About 2500 marines from the USMC returned to Darwin as part of the 14th rotation of the US Marine Rotational Force on March 17. The marines will spend the next five months in Australia, participating in various bilateral and multilateral exercises.
Ships from China, Russia and Iran participated in Exercise Security Belt 2025 in the Gulf of Oman from March 09-13. Nine countries including Sri Lanka and South Africa were reported to have sent observers for this exercise.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. VI, Issue 3. To read about them, please see the PDF attached.
The Indian Navy launched its IOS Sagar (an IN ship deployed in the Southwestern Indian Ocean with a combined crew from 10 IOR countries) and AIKEYME (a training exercise co-hosted by India and Tanzania for IOR countries) initiatives on March 24 as a follow-up to the MAHASAGAR vision.
The Indian Navy concluded the 2025 edition of its Theatre Level Operational exercise TROPEX. It also participated in exercises Sea Dragon (with USA, Japan, Australia and South Korea), Varuna (with France) and Indra (with the Russian Federation) during the month.
Responding to a high-intensity earthquake resulting in mass casualties in Myanmar on March 28, India launched Operation Brahma to provide disaster relief for Myanmar. Rescue teams, a field hospital and relief supplies reached Myanmar within 24 hours of the quake. Relief operations were continuing at month end.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited India from March 16-20. His talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi defined the future of the bilateral relationship, based on the defence forces building greater strategic trust, scientists collaborating on global challenges, improved trade cooperation, and greater mobility for students, young professionals and tourists.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made his maiden visits to Manila and Tokyo from March 28-30, strengthening the US posture in the Philippines and providing reassurance that the US defence relationship with Japan remained on a sound footing.
China announced a defence budget of about 1.78 trillion Yuan ($ 249 billion) on March 5. The amount is more than the spending of the next 22 largest militaries in the region, and represents an increase of 7.2% over last year’s budget.
The US Intelligence Community published its annual threat assessment on March 25. The assessment prioritised illicit drug actors, transnational Islamic extremists and other transnational criminals as the main non-state threats. Amongst state actors, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea were identified as threats.
About 2500 marines from the USMC returned to Darwin as part of the 14th rotation of the US Marine Rotational Force on March 17. The marines will spend the next five months in Australia, participating in various bilateral and multilateral exercises.
Ships from China, Russia and Iran participated in Exercise Security Belt 2025 in the Gulf of Oman from March 09-13. Nine countries including Sri Lanka and South Africa were reported to have sent observers for this exercise.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. VI, Issue 3. To read about them, please see the PDF attached.
