Defence Minister to Share Vision and Guidance on India’s Maritime Outlook and Expectations from the Navy

New Delhi, 28 September (H.S.): The three-day Naval Commanders’ Conference, held twice a year, will commence on September 29 at Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference, which brings together the Indian Navy’s senior leadership, will review operational preparedness at the military-strategic level through October 1. The institutional forum will bring together senior naval leadership, including operational and area commanders based at various locations.

Captain Vivek Madhwal said the conference would be significant in highlighting the Navy’s contribution towards safeguarding India’s maritime interests amid the ongoing conflicts in West Asia, including energy security. The conference will also focus on strengthening ongoing naval operations to safeguard energy security and further consolidating the Navy’s position as a credible maritime force and a “preferred security partner” in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.

On the first day of the conference, the Defence Minister will share his vision and guidance regarding India’s maritime outlook and expectations from the Indian Navy. The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of the Army Staff will also interact with the Naval Commanders to promote greater jointness and integration among the three Services.

Over the subsequent days, the Chief of the Naval Staff will review key focus areas with the commanders, including operations, materiel, logistics, relief and rescue operations, training, and the incorporation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, autonomous and unmanned systems, and cyber operations. The discussions will emphasise the need to adopt cutting-edge warfighting concepts and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies.

He said the senior naval leadership would undertake a comprehensive assessment of force-level optimisation and combat readiness in line with the three foundational pillars of jointness, self-reliance and innovation, with the objective of contributing to the Government of India’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat@2047.

The Indian Navy continues to maintain a high operational tempo as it firmly advances on its path towards remaining a combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-ready force dedicated to the service of the nation.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar