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Indian Navy's request to Gujarat government to allot it a piece of land in Gandhinagar has also pushed into view India's maritime military strategy. India is a maritime country but it still has a long way to go to fully realize its maritime capabilities, a key objective of the maritime strategy. Maritime capabilities can be exploited to their full potential if maritime infrastructure exists. Fortunately, for the country, an array of maritime infrastructure already exists in Gujarat both in public and private domain, which can be utilized for furthering the country's interests. Among Indian Navy's assets in Gujarat, INS Valsura, Jamnagar operates under the training command while its facilities at Bedi Port, Okha and Porbandar are under Western Naval Command together with the UAV squadron at Porbandar airport. Indian Navy's officer incharge based in Porbandar is its points man, who is also responsible at the moment for drawing up the maritime armed force's long term plan in the state.
An Indian Navy office in Gandhinagar would mean positioning of an officer of the rank of rear admiral. He would be responsible for coordinating Indian Navy's operations with other national security agencies based in Gujarat. This would point towards the intention of Indian Navy to upgrade its bases in Porbandar, Okha and at Bedi. With air power having been recognized as an integral part of maritime military strategy, it could also be expected that Porbandar airport's operations some day would come to be greatly controlled by Indian Navy, which plans to set up a control room at this coastal town for surveillance by aircraft and UAV. "Air power will be used to achieve synergistic effects, through its inherently superior reach and precision, to enable surveillance, strike at vulnerabilities, and to overwhelm adversary's defences. Satellite-based surveillance, unmanned surveillance vehicles and networked capabilities will have significant impact on our strategy in the envisaged time frame," the maritime military strategy document says.
Keeping a watch on The Strait of Hormuz, one of the nine important passages that provide access to Indian Ocean, without having a substantial presence in Gujarat would thus be difficult for the Indian Navy. That Gujarat government has reportedly asked the Indian Navy for a written request for land in Gandhinagar is thus a welcome development in the backdrop of these facts, observers say.
Gujarat helps push India's maritime military strategy - The Times of India
An Indian Navy office in Gandhinagar would mean positioning of an officer of the rank of rear admiral. He would be responsible for coordinating Indian Navy's operations with other national security agencies based in Gujarat. This would point towards the intention of Indian Navy to upgrade its bases in Porbandar, Okha and at Bedi. With air power having been recognized as an integral part of maritime military strategy, it could also be expected that Porbandar airport's operations some day would come to be greatly controlled by Indian Navy, which plans to set up a control room at this coastal town for surveillance by aircraft and UAV. "Air power will be used to achieve synergistic effects, through its inherently superior reach and precision, to enable surveillance, strike at vulnerabilities, and to overwhelm adversary's defences. Satellite-based surveillance, unmanned surveillance vehicles and networked capabilities will have significant impact on our strategy in the envisaged time frame," the maritime military strategy document says.
Keeping a watch on The Strait of Hormuz, one of the nine important passages that provide access to Indian Ocean, without having a substantial presence in Gujarat would thus be difficult for the Indian Navy. That Gujarat government has reportedly asked the Indian Navy for a written request for land in Gandhinagar is thus a welcome development in the backdrop of these facts, observers say.
Gujarat helps push India's maritime military strategy - The Times of India
