Coastal security a big challenge: Navy chief

Arogyaswami Paulraj, emeritus professor, Stanford University, and Admiral R.K. Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff, at the Admiral R.L. Pereira Memorial Lecture function in Bengaluru on Saturday.— Photo: Sudhakara Jain.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R.K. Dhowan, said here on Saturday that “coastal security is a big challenge” and patrolling has been stepped in coastal areas in the past few months.

“In the last few months, we are on high state of alert and have deployed Navy units, ships, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in the coastal areas,” he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the second Admiral R.L. Pereira Memorial Lecture function here, Admiral Dhowan said dealing with non-state actors was always a difficult situation.

Asked about the boat allegedly carrying explosives for a possible terror attack near the Gujarat coast recently, he said: “Coastal security is a big challenge and we have a huge coastline of 7,516 km and extensive economic zone of over two million sq km. There are nearly 5,000 merchant ships operating and over 2.4 lakh fishing boats in the area.”

To maintain surveillance, the Navy had put in place the National Command and Control Communication System and Intelligence System, Admiral Dhowan said.

“Threat perception in the Indian Ocean region is wide and varied. There is threat of asymmetric warfare and other maritime threats that could emanate from the region for the country. India is fully concerned and is ready to defend its seas,” he said.

The entire blueprint of Navy was planned around the sole mission of self-reliance, he said and sought the support of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) in the production of indigenous equipment for the Navy.

The blueprint of the Navy was firmly anchored on self-reliance.

All warships in the future would be 100 per cent indigenous, he noted. Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), under construction at Cochin Shipyard Limited, would be delivered by the end of 2018, the navy Chief said.

Noting that safeguarding the country’s interests rested on the Indian navy, he said “as India progresses, our maritime interest will grow expeditiously.”

Arogyaswami Paulraj, emeritus professor, Stanford University, delivered the Admiral R L Pereira Memorial Lecture, organised by Bangalore chapter of the Navy Foundation.