Rajnath Singh addresses top naval commanders onboard INS Vikrant | Latest Updates

By Shahnaz Last updated Mar 7, 2023

Image Source: PTI Rajnath Singh addressed the top naval commanders of INS Vikrant

Naval Commanders Conference: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday addressed top naval commanders and reviewed India’s maritime security challenges aboard the country’s first indigenous ship INS Vikrant. The meeting was held amid China’s growing military presence in the Indian Ocean region. India TV today exclusively visited INS Vikrant for the first time, while a commander’s conference is underway aboard the vessel, floating about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Goa.

As the 43,000-tonne steel behemoth, accompanied by a fleet of more than 20 frontline frigates, destroyers and submarines, sailed across the high seas, the defense minister sat inside the main briefing room, about 262 meters long and 59 meters long. The ship commended the naval commanders for their strong protection of India’s maritime interests in strategic waters.

Mega Wargame

Before addressing the commanders at the biennial naval summit, Singh, Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and other naval commanders inspected almost all attack aircraft including the Vikrant, accompanying ships and the MiG-29K on deck. saw a great war game of -based jet.

Admiral Kumar said, “This is a historic occasion. The Chief of Naval Staff said that all policy decisions, acquisition related matters and force planning are being discussed at the Commanders’ Conference. “The aim of the conference is to review what the challenges are, where we stand, what the gaps are and how we can take things forward,” he told reporters. Assets deployed during Monday’s exercise included warships from the Eastern and Western fleets.

Tropax practice

Officials said the war game marked the end of the three-month-long Tropax exercise, which is considered the largest such exercise ever conducted by the Navy, to test the force’s overall operational capabilities in view of the evolving regional security matrix. was launched in December to test .

Two prototypes of the sea-going variant of the indigenously-built light combat aircraft performed their fast landing on the deck of the massive aircraft carrier inducted into the Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last September. The decision to hold the first phase of the commanders’ conference on INS Vikrant is a “very important step,” a top military official said, indicating that it was a projection of power in the face of Chinese assertiveness.

INS Vikrant has modern air defense network and anti-ship missile system

Built at a cost of around Rs 23,000 crore, INS Vikrant has a sophisticated air defense network and anti-ship missile system. It has the capacity to host 30 fighter jets and helicopters. At the boat’s commissioning ceremony, Prime Minister Modi called it a “floating city” and said it was a reflection of India’s defense self-reliance. The carrier’s flight deck is roughly the size of two football fields, an official said.

The official said the conference will have its own importance and relevance given the current geo-strategic situation in the region. The second day conference will be held in Goa. The next phase of the conference will be held in Delhi after a few days. 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 officials under an institutional framework.

Agneepath Scheme

Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey and Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhary will also hold talks with the naval commanders to address the integration of the three forces into a common operational environment. During the conference, naval commanders will also be updated on the implementation of the Agneepath plan.

The first batch of ‘Naval Firefighters’, including the first batch of women recruited under the scheme, is scheduled to pass out from INS Chilka at the end of March. The Navy said the commanders’ conference will be important and will consider the challenges facing India in the maritime domain.

“The Indian Navy is focused on being a combat-ready, reliable, cohesive and future-proof force and continues to diligently execute its mandate as the nation’s maritime security guarantor,” the Navy said in a statement on Sunday. is,” the Navy said in a statement on Sunday.

(With inputs from PTI)

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