Article Posted on : - Sep 05, 2023

NEW DELHI (PTI): Top commanders of Indian Navy are carrying out a comprehensive review of India's maritime security challenges and ways to enhance tri-services synergy at a three-day conclave which began Monday amid China's burgeoning military posturing in the Indian Ocean region.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari are scheduled to interact with the naval commanders at the conference being held in Delhi, officials said.

The conference and the "embedded interactions" with the NSA, chiefs of the Army and the Indian Air Force would also be utilised to analyse the operational environment, deliberate on the issue of tri-services synergy and assess the readiness of the maritime forces, the Navy said.

The naval commanders' conference is the apex-level biannual event that facilitates interaction between the naval commanders for deliberation and formulation of important policy decisions.

The senior leadership of Indian Navy will review major operational, materiel, logistics, human resources, training, and administrative activities undertaken during the previous six months, the Navy said.

The conference will also deliberate upon the course to be steered in the ensuing months, it said.

"The conference also provides an opportunity for institutionalised interaction of naval commanders with senior government officials to take ahead several inter-ministerial initiatives towards the development of a safe and secure maritime environment essential for the holistic economic growth of the country," the Navy said in a statement.

It said the last six months have seen an "intense operational tempo as the Indian Navy's operations spanned from the Atlantic to the Pacific".

The Navy said the forum will undertake a detailed review of the operational readiness of the Navy, with a particular focus on the performance of weapons/ sensors of the naval platforms "The commanders will also review the ongoing naval projects with a focus on enhancing indigenisation through 'Make in India' in consonance with the vision of achieving complete 'Aatmanirbharta' by 2047," the Navy said.

A demonstration of the indigenisation, innovations and tech initiatives by the Indian Navy is also planned on the sidelines of the conference.

"Various HR initiatives towards enhancing quality of life will be reviewed as well as the progress made towards identifying and removing archaic practices in the Indian Navy," it said.