Naval modernization is an extremely expensive, time-consuming, and a relatively
rare phenomenon. Scholars have proposed various arguments to explain this
process ranging from bureaucratic politics, to nationalism, and to the security
dilemma. The Nexus of Naval Modernization in India and China demonstrates
that from 1990 until 2020, the primary driver of naval modernization resulted
from a strategic rivalry. Key to strategic rivalries is perceived threat perceptions
that cause decision makers to prepare for worst-case scenarios when trying
to decipher their enemy's behaviour. When a state believes it is threatened by
a rival's naval power it is likely to pursue its own form of naval modernization for
self-protection. Importantly, rivalries do not exist in a vacuum and are frequently
linked. This project will reveal how the interconnected nature of rivalries can
also cause naval modernization. Through a close examination of scholarly works,
government documents, and in-depth focused interviews with experts based in
India, China, Australia, and the U.S. Colley argues that while strategic rivalry is
not the only driver of naval modernization, it is the most compelling explanation.
Other arguments are frequently embedded within the strategic rivalry model
and thus are best seen as only partial drivers. This study contributes to the rivalry
research program as well as the policy and security studies literatures.

Christopher K. Colley is an Assistant Professor of Security Studies at the National Defence College of the United Arab Emirates. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University Bloomington and holds a Master's degree from Renmin University of China. Dr. Colley was an inaugural Wilson Centre China Fellow and has lectured on Chinese politics, foreign policy and security at numerous universities and organizations including Indiana University, Renmin University, China Foreign Affairs College, and the Foreign Military Attaché Corps Club in Beijing. He has written extensively on Sino-Indian relations and has published numerous book chapters, reports and articles on the subject. He lived in China for over a decade and has visited all of China's provinces and political entities multiple times.