The Indian Navy on Monday unveiled a 15-year plan to boost maritime infrastructure even as Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said the force is working with the Army and the IAF to ensure tri-services jointness and integration to meet future challenges.
He made the remarks in his address on the first day of the three-day naval commanders conference in Delhi that is deliberating on India's maritime security challenges and ways to enhance tri-services synergy amid China's increasing forays in the Indian Ocean region.
Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt released the Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan (MIPP) 2023-37 at the conference.
"The MIPP aims to synchronise and enmesh the infrastructure requirements of the Navy, over the next 15 years, through a comprehensive prospective plan model," the Navy said.
"The plan document is aligned with the government's vision on the creation of sustainable infrastructure, and encompasses salients for compliance with broader policy directives on PM Gati Shakti project, disaster resilience, transition to net zero, among others," it said.
The naval commanders' conference is the apex-level biannual event that facilitates interaction among the commanders on the formulation of important policy decisions.
The Chief of Naval Staff highlighted that as an "instrument of the nation's maritime power, we must accomplish every mission and each task that comes our way".
"Second, we must be ready for the heavy lifting in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, in pursuance of the vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)," he said.
"Third, as the cutting edge of our rising nation, we must embrace larger societal changes that are happening around us. Fourthly, we are working closely with the CDS and the other two services to progress jointness and integration to meet the challenges of the future," he said.
Minister of State for Defence Bhatt interacted with the commanders and commended the Navy for maintaining a high operational readiness in ensuring secure seas for national security and prosperity.
"He praised the Navy for the efforts towards indigenisation and innovation towards becoming a fully Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) force by 2047," the Navy said in a statement.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari are scheduled to interact with the naval commanders at the conference.
The ongoing and planned indigenous projects of the Indian Navy utilising niche technologies in the fields of artificial intelligence, tactical communications, combat management systems and combat platform integration, were showcased at the conference.
In addition, the newly designed uniform items being introduced for enhanced comfort, hygiene and functionality such as high-absorption T-shirts, camouflage caps and jackets and high-ankle shoes were displayed on the sidelines of the conference.
Bhatt released the Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37, IRS rules and regulations handbook, family logbook, and electronic service document project during the event.
The IRS rules and regulations handbook for the construction and classification of naval combatants has been revised since the previous edition of 2015 to cater for technological advancements and Aatmanirbharta.
The new rule book represents self-reliance in the Naval shipbuilding industry, the Navy said.
The family logbook for defence civilian personnel of the Indian Navy is a personal financial record book for reference of families of naval civilian personnel, which provides important financial information on insurance, loans, investments etc. This will serve as a ready reckoner in times of emergency in the family, mishaps, accidents, etc, the Navy said.
The electronic service document project will transform the HR record keeping and management of Naval personnel into an efficient, digital, centralised and transparent process in line with the digital India vision, it said.
