Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral D.K. Joshi has said that the Indian Navy is poised for a major upgrade with the induction of cutting-edge technology to enhance the maritime security environment of the country.
He was interacting with presspersons after reviewing a passing-out parade of cadets at the Indian Naval Academy (INA) here on Saturday.
Admiral Joshi said the country would have three aircraft carriers by 2017 as the current aircraft carrier INS Virat would be decommissioned by then. The sea trials of the indigenous ship submersible ballistic nuclear submarine under construction would begin soon. The second phase of the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant would be commissioned by 2017.
“As all these newer cutting-edge technologies are coming from the Navy, our crew members are preparing for them and are getting training,” Admiral Joshi said. The cadets who passed out from the INA would be the ones to man and operate the technologies of the future, he said. “There are not many countries in the world who construct their own aircraft carriers or nuclear-propelled submarines,” he said.
On the submarine capability of the Navy, the Chief of the Naval Staff said that there had been some delay in the construction of the Scorpion class submarines being built with foreign collaboration at the Mazdock in Mumbai. The construction was now in full swing and the French company DCNS building them had been told that they should compress time frames so that the final boat came somewhere around the time set in the contract. The submarines would enter service around 2016, he said.
On the country’s maritime security, Admiral Joshi said the Navy was coordinating the efforts of the Coast Guard, that was leading the security measures with the State administrations concerned. Inter-agency coordination had improved with the setting up of the coastal radar chains.
