Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday outlined the Aatmanirbharta approach of the Indian Navy and praised the sailors and officers for their efforts in keeping the Indian maritime safe and secure.
Speaking at the first edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference 2023, the Defence Minister said that in the next 5-10 years, orders worth over USD 100 billion are expected to be placed through the defence sector, and it will become a major partner in the economic development of the country.
“Today, our defence sector is on the runway, soon when it takes off, it will transform the country’s economy. If we want to see India among the top economic powers of the world by the end of ‘Amrit Kaal’, we need to take bold steps towards becoming a defence superpower,” the Raksha Mantri said.
The defence minister also witnessed the operational demonstration at INS Vikrant and takeoffs and landings of existing aircraft including Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy. He also boarded the LCA Navy and was informed about the experience of flying the home-developed aircraft.
At a time when India is looking for a fighter aircraft on INS Vikrant, the landing of the indigenous LCA Navy is seen as an achievement. The Indian Navy is still away from a deck-based aircraft.
The Naval Commanders’ Conference 2023, which started on Monday, holds special significance this year, as it is being held at sea for the first time onboard India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
The conference, which is set to have three phases, will culminate on March 13, in Delhi. With the commencement of the first day at INS Vikrant, the conference saw second day in Goa. It will take a break for Holi and will culminate on March 13.
Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, while addressing the press, stressed the fact that the conference was being hosted onboard INS Vikrant.
He said, “this is a historic occasion because we are having the commanders’ conference onboard INS Vikrant. This is a change from what has been happening earlier. In this case, we will get a feel of challenges and experience of our staff while staying with them onboard.”
Talking about the aircraft for INS Vikrant, Chief of Naval Staff further said, “we are looking at Aatmanirbharta, so we are looking for our own twin-engine deck-based fighter. By 2026, we can expect the prototype, and then by 2033, the product. Till then, we are looking for aircraft because of the short numbers in the fleet. Both the aircraft that are in the final run are good. We have submitted our report, and MOD will further decide on the basis of several factors.”
During the conference, Naval Commanders will review major operational, materiel, logistics, human resource development, training, and administrative activities undertaken by the Indian Navy in the last six months and further deliberate upon future plans for important activities and initiatives.
“Indian Navy focuses on future plans and challenges in these conferences. All top officers come together at a platform that somewhere results in a better plan or execution of current programs,” said a senior officer onboard INS Vikrant. When asked if Pakistan and China are going to be topics for the conference, he said,
“We don’t need commanders’ conference to discuss China and Pakistan. Challenges, if any, are discussed on a daily basis. The platform is more about ourselves," Admiral Kumar added.
The conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important security issues at the military-strategic level as well as interact with senior government functionaries through an institutionalized forum.
The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force will also interact with the Naval Commanders on subsequent days to address the convergence of the three Services vis-à-vis common operational environment and avenues of augmenting Tri-Service synergy and readiness towards the defence of the nation and India’s national interests.
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