The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an independent Think Tank dealing with national
security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional & sub-conventional conflict and terrorism.
CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy-oriented in approach.
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No. 253 October 2020
Blockade of the
Straits of Malac
Realistic Option for
India: An
Assessment
Major General PK Mallick, VSM
(Retd), is an Electronics and
Telecommunication Engineering
graduate from BE College, Shibpore.
He was commissioned in the Corps
of Signals. M Tech from IIT, Kharagpur
and an alumni of DSSC, CDM and
NDC, the officer has wide experience
in CI Ops, command, staff and
instructional appointments. He retired
from the National Defence College as
a Senior Directing Staff (Army). The
officer has interest in Electronic
Warfare, Cyber Warfare and
Technology. He has published a large
number of papers in reputed journals.
He runs a popular blog on national
security issues. Currently, he holds the
COAS Chair of Excellence at CLAWS.
Introduction
The Straits of Malacca is the shortest sea route
between Persian Gulf suppliers of oil and key
Asian markets. It links major economies such as
Middle East, China, Japan, South Korea, etc.
Being the 500 nautical mile funneled waterway, the
Strait is only 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) wide at its
narrowest point─ the Phillips Channel in the
Singapore Strait. The Strait is not deep enough to
accommodate some of the largest ships, mostly oil
tankers, but it is significant as through the South
China Sea it connects the Indian Ocean with the
Pacific Ocean.
Very often, the blockade of the Straits of Malacca
for disruption of Chinese energy sources and trade
is being offered as a possible Indian strategic
deterrence option against China in a conflict
scenario.
1
With hardly any other deterrence
• The Straits of Malacca is a key
corridor of global trade and
commerce, which through the South
China Sea connects the Indian Ocean
with the Pacific Ocean.
• The blockade of the Straits of Malacca
for disruption of Chinese energy
sources and trade is seen as a
possible option for India’s strategic
deterrence against China.
• If the Straits of Malacca is blocked,
nearly half of the world's shipping fleet
would require to be rerouted through
the Lombok Strait or the Sunda Strait.
• India Navy can easily cut off the
narrow Straits of Malacca; however,
blocking a strait is not a viable
strategic goal.
• There are serious issues which need
to be carefully wargamed before
taking any action on naval blockade of
the Straits of Malacca.
