Red Star over the Indian Ocean

If Prime Minister Edward Heath’s warning that “the frontiers of Soviet ambition are not bound by the Mediterranean” failed to alert the Free World to the threat inherent in the USSR’s naval buildup in the Indian Ocean, the sudden appearance of Soviet cruiser Aleksandr Suvorov off Singapore during the recent Commonwealth conference should have wakened many leaders to the reality of Soviet power in the great southern ocean.

At long last, Soviet imperialism in the Indian Ocean is a matter of at least limited concern in Washington. This is indicated by the decision of U.S. and British authorities to construct a communications facility on Diego Garcia, an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Awareness of the strategic importance of this 28 million square mile oceanic region is late in coming, however. More than a decade ago, Admirals Arleigh Burke and John S. McCain Jr. warned of the inevitable Soviet effort to fill the Indian Ocean power vacuum. Rear Admiral M. W. Cagle spoke of the “Forgotten Ocean.” Because such leaders weren’t heeded, the United States today is without naval forces or bases in the Indian Ocean. The American admiral who commands the token Middle East force in the Persian Gulf flies his flag from an antiquated seaplane tender. Meanwhile, powerful, rocket-armed Soviet frigates show the Red flag from Bombay to Mombassa and Mauritius to Singapore.

AH

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Anthony H. Harrigan

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If Prime Minister Edward Heath’s warning that “the frontiers of Soviet ambition are not bound by the Mediterranean” failed to alert the Free World to the threat inherent in the USSR’s naval buildup in the Indian Ocean, the sudden appearance of Soviet cruiser Aleksandr Suvorov off Singapore during the recent Commonwealth conference should have wakened many leaders to the reality of Soviet power in the great southern ocean.

At long last, Soviet imperialism in the Indian Ocean is a matter of at least limited concern in Washington. This is indicated by the decision of U.S. and British authorities to construct a communications facility on Diego Garcia, an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Awareness of the strategic importance of this 28 million square mile oceanic region is late in coming, however. More than a decade ago, Admirals Arleigh Burke and John S. McCain Jr. warned of the inevitable Soviet effort to fill the Indian Ocean power vacuum. Rear Admiral M. W. Cagle spoke of the “Forgotten Ocean.” Because such leaders weren’t heeded, the United States today is without naval forces or bases in the Indian Ocean. The American admiral who commands the token Middle East force in the Persian Gulf flies his flag from an antiquated seaplane tender. Meanwhile, powerful, rocket-armed Soviet frigates show the Red flag from Bombay to Mombassa and Mauritius to Singapore.