Land Doctrine for Sri Lanka; In Anticipation of Future Threats to the National Security to Sri Lanka

Abstract

The Indian Ocean region has always been a sensitive and a complicated area in Geo-political, Geo-strategy, Geo-economic and Geo-cultural point of view. Situated in right middle of this mighty Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka's Geo-strategic location draw many a foreign influences to a great extent. Many nations have paved their interest in Sri Lanka in different outlooks. A tribute to its location Sri Lanka's geographical shape, size, and the ground configuration together with natural harbours of the country too draw the attention of any nation that has an interest in and around the Indian Ocean. It's surely not a spot to be missed out in context of maritime interests of the world's sea going nations in particular and in general the overall security concerns in and around Indian Ocean. Even during ancient times there are records to prove how important Sri Lanka had been in the maritime interests of the sea going nations. Silk route era and even beyond Sri Lanka had been a hub or a transit location. During the colonial expansion Sri Lanka drew the attention of the three major powers such as Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Their confrontations over the control of this tiny island and onwards events unfolded in the colonial era clearly demonstrate a strategic importance Sri Lanka. During World War I and II, again Sri Lanka became the Command location of the South East Asian Command of the Allied Forces. The Trincomalee harbour housed the maritime assets of the South East Asian Command, the second largest fleet of the Allied Forces. Then, during the Cold War period, two superpowers and their allies' interest, their overt and covert undertakings in Sri Lanka once again had proven how important Sri Lanka is for these power struggles. In the contemporary world, again and again Sri Lanka is a concern for many a nations. Rising South East Asian nations and their interest on security, energy and resources, once again Sri Lanka will be one of their prime concerns. Supremacy for power between rising nations and those establish power bases will surely extend whatever the methods that they can to exercise command over the control of the Sri Lanka. To survive and to exist in and around this ever challenging security concerns, Sri Lanka needs a formidable Grand Strategy and a Land Doctrine to shape its defence forces. Policy makers thinking to be executed at operational and tactical level, there has to be long term understanding which will be the blueprint for the military leaders to organis, train, equip the country's military apertures. A sound land doctrine is a must to be developed and this paper is an attempt to highlight the need of a Land doctrine for the country and suggest a possible way out for developing such a doctrine for the country in absence of a one.