By IANS,
Mumbai : Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta here Wednesday inaugurated the three-day annual naval commanders’ conference – the highest decision-making body of the Indian Navy.
The primary focus of this year’s conference would be surveillance of the seas around the country and real time exchange of information through network centric operations.
The top naval commanders would discuss the issue of the scheduled induction of “some major platforms” in all three dimensions of the navy’s operations, and their integration with the weapons systems into the overall concept of operations.
Also to be deliberated upon are major operational issues concerning defence of the country’s maritime interests, coastal security, defence of national assets at sea, and naval strategies.
They would also discuss operational and acquisition plans and the course corrections required to bring the Indian Navy in tune with the times and maintain synergy with the other two services – army and air force.
A defence announcement said here Wednesday afternoon that over the last decade, the maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean has become more complex, fluid and significantly more volatile.
Along with the country’s economic success and elevation in international stature, its regional responsibilities have also increased. In order to discharge these, a strong and effective Navy is essential.
The challenges for the future would include the navy being called upon to perform a significantly larger role to be a regionally relevant force and capable of countering existing and identifiable threats.
The conference is being held at the Western Naval Command Headquarters, south Mumbai, and is being attended by the highest echelons of the Indian Navy from the Integrated Headquarters at New Delhi, three command headquarters and the two fleets.