New Delhi. The Indian Navy has adequate assets to tackle any challenge, according to Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba.
He told the pre-Navy Day annual news conference December 2 that the Indian Navy has 40 ships, four submarines and 12 aircraft deployed in water near and far around the Indian peninsular and island territories. “The operational philosophy, war-fighting capabilities and combat tactics of both our Fleets – Western and Eastern – have also been tested recently through a series of sea exercises” and that the Navy could assure the nation of required security “anytime, anywhere, every time.”
The Navy Chief was asked by newsmen about the possible threat posed by the Chinese navy’s presence in the Indian Ocean and its presence on the Pakistani ports, particularly the newly-built Gwadar.
India celebrates the Navy Day annually on December 4 to mark the successful attack on Pakistan navy’s Karachi base in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
The soft-spoken Chief also pointed out that the Navy was engaging other countries in positive spirit “in pursuance of our national foreign policy initiatives” of having friendly and good relations with all.
“We remain acutely aware of our duty to shape a favourable and positive maritime environment in the Indian Ocean Region,” he said adding that “the Indian Navy has accorded the highest priority to India’s neighbourhood in keeping with our Government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Our ships have visited various ports and engaged with navies of countries in the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and Maldives in 2016.
And there have been diverse missions in far-flung seas, including hydrographic surveys by Darshak around Tanzania and Mauritius, anti-piracy patrols by Frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels in the Gulf of Aden, environment rehabilitation support to Fiji and participation in International Fleet Review at New Zealand by Sumitra. “Our core naval engagements have included exercises by Western Fleet ships with navies in the Gulf, East Africa and IOR island nations, and by Eastern Fleet ships in the Western Pacific including participation in the multi-national exercise RIMPAC at Hawaii.”
Admiral Lanba had taken over the command of the Indian Navy only this year, succeeding Admiral Robin Dhowan. This was his first press conference, an event well organized and used also to inaugurate the Indian Navy’s new interactive website.
Admiral Lanba said that the Navy was continuously upgrading its assets, and recently it had conducted several exercises with the Indian Air Force and Army towards building professional excellence.
There was emphasis on indigenous shipbuilding, and special attention was being paid to submarines. The next year, 2017, will be marked by the Navy as the Year of the Submarine.
However, he did not given any details of India’s nuclear assets or programme.
