India should have minimum deterrence: Navy chief

Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Monday said India should have "credible minimum deterrence" keeping in view its neighbourhood.

"You have to have credible minimum deterrence against somebody you can't target. India's policy is not the whole world over. So, in the neighbourhood we should have adequate capability to maintain the deterrent value of such platforms," he told TV18.

Admiral Mehta was asked if India was planning to develop Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles as part of its nuclear deterrence capabilities.

On July 26, India inducted its first indigenously produced nuclear submarine INS Arihant, which is armed with nuclear capable 700 km medium range K-15 missiles. India is planning to increase the range of the submarine launched ballistic missile up to 3,000 km in future.

Image: Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta