Amid the border tension with China and an upsurge in the activities of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, top Naval Commanders today began a five-day brain-storming session to review the Indian Navy’s preparedness and how the force should protect the country’s vital interests on high seas.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also visited the Sena Bhawan to attend a conference and interact with the Naval Commanders on matters pertaining to national security.

The conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important maritime matters at the military-strategic level as well as interact with Senior Government Officials through an institutionalised forum.

“Due to the rapidly changing geostrategic situation of the region, the significance and importance of the conference is manifold. It is an institutionalised platform to deliberate, direct, devise and decide issues of utmost importance, which will shape the future course of the Indian Navy,” the Indian Navy said.

During the five-day conference, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh and other Naval Commanders will review major operational, materiel, logistics, human resource development, training and administrative activities undertaken by the Indian Navy in the last few months and deliberate upon future plans for important activities and initiatives.

The Navy has focused on being a combat-ready, credible and cohesive force and despite the COVID- 19 pandemic, continues to assiduously execute its mandate. The Indian Navy has witnessed significant growth in its operational tasking over the years in consonance with India’s rising maritime interests. Indian Naval ships on ‘Mission Based Deployments’ across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have remained poised for quick response to any developing situation.

Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat and the Chiefs of Indian Army, Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane and Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari would also interact with the Naval Commanders to address the convergence of the three Services vis-a-vis the operational environment, and on avenues for augmenting tri-service synergy.