Navy expands footprint in Indian Ocean

May 20, 2010 03:38 am | Updated November 28, 2021 08:58 pm IST - NEW DELHI

The Indian Navy has begun shouldering out-of-area tasks in a bigger way, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, told his commanders at the bi-annual conference of top commanders here on Wednesday.

In this respect, he drew attention to the ever-increasing demands of maritime security both in the littorals and high seas and the consequent need for the Indian Navy to maintain a high state of preparedness.

“Professional excellence, coupled with material preparedness, sound logistics, effective maintenance and comprehensive training are the cornerstones of combat readiness.”

The Navy Chief also emphasised the need to maintain the highest standards of moral conduct and integrity in addition to professional excellence.

Fund utilisation

The Chief of Naval Staff informed his commanders that during the previous fiscal, the Navy had signed major contracts such as additional MiG-29K, cost revision of Gorshkov and had fully utilised the allotted budget.

He was also appreciative of the Defence Ministry for making additional funds available for clearing important schemes. Due emphasis is being laid on improving the efficiency of the internal processes associated with the acquisition to achieve the goals laid out in the Maritime Capability Perspective Plan.

During discussions on the operational status of the Navy, it was brought out that the tempo of operational commitments has been increasing significantly necessitating greater attention to improving operational efficiencies and material availability.

In its quest for blue water status, the Navy maintained a continuous patrol in the Gulf of Aden with 17 ships on duty. In addition, Indian warships patrolled the exclusive economic zone and maritime areas of interest of Mauritius, Seychelles and Maldives.

Deliberations will continue on the maintenance philosophy, operational readiness, availability of ships, submarines and aircraft, cyber security and personnel matters impacting the welfare of personnel.

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