Top Indian Navy commanders will, for the first time, get into a four-day debate from Tuesday to brainstorm on consolidating the country’s maritime interest due to the “security scenario in the neighbourhood” and “changes emerging” because of the Russia-Ukraine war.

With the Chinese trying to dominate the Indian Ocean region and holding on to an adversarial position against the country, top Navy brass will get a global strategic perspective from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2022.

The Chief of the Naval staff, along with other naval commanders, will review major operational, material, 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, said the Defence Ministry. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also address the conference.

The expectation from the Navy has increased in the country’s military preparedness and diplomacy. Navy chief Admiral Hari Kumar visited Maldives and Seychelles to strengthen bilateral military relations with the two island nations and increase their presence in the Indian Ocean region. Indian Navy’s standing, said the Ministry, as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’, has also grown concomitantly in recent times.   

The chiefs of the army and air force will also interact with the Naval Commanders to address the convergence of the three Services to forge a common operational environment, pointed out the ministry. The senior officers will also discuss avenues of augmenting tri-Service synergy and readiness.

The Navy, stated the Defence Ministry, has witnessed significant growth in its operational tasking over the years in consonance with India’s growing maritime interests. In 2020-21, navy ships undertook multiple COVID-related outreach missions to provide food and medical aid to Indian Ocean Region littoral nations and beyond as part of Hon’ble PM’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in Region), the Ministry added.