Ministry of Defence
06-May, 2018 10:56 IST
Naval Commander’s conference to begin on 08 May at New Delhi
The first edition of this year’s Bi-annual Naval Commander’s Conference is scheduled from 08 to 11 May 18. During the conference, Navy will review its new Mission-Based Deployments philosophy aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region. The new deployment philosophy, in furtherance of the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), aims at sustained, peaceful and yet responsive presence of Indian Naval ships in critical areas and choke points.
The Navy’s focus over the past year has been on Combat Efficiency and Materiel Readiness, and upkeep of its large fleet of 131 ships and submarines. Various measures taken to improve Combat Efficiency, including the new Transition Cycle for ships for transition from maintenance periods through a training phase and thereon to full scale operations will be examined at the conference.
Measures to ensure safety, continued training, and checks and balances on crew proficiency on-board its frontline warships will also be reviewed. An overhaul of the training standards of units by revamping the ‘Ship Operating Standards (SHOPS)’ is also underway. The new SHOPS, set to be unveiled shortly, focuses on Role-based training in realistic scenarios and sets standards to be met by units as also targets individual crew proficiency levels.
The Navy has been at the forefront in the absorption and exploitation of cutting-edge technology. Naval Commanders would deliberate upon steps to improve the Teeth-to-Tail ratio and explore niche fields such as Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics. Harnessing cutting-edge technology, specifically those ‘Made-in-India’, to improve organisational effectiveness and efficiency would be another key focus area of the Commanders.
Indian Navy has been the flag-bearer of the indigenisation and ‘Make in India’ initiative. 27 ships and submarines are currently under construction in Indian Shipyards, including the first indigenous Aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’. The Navy promulgated the ‘Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan 2015-30’ which has laid down our plans for the next fifteen years. This allows for Industry to formulate strategies to meet the requirements of the Navy through the new Strategic Partnership Model, notified in May 17, as well as domestic R&D. These initiatives, which are aimed at enhancing indigenous defence industrial capability extending up to the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), shall also be discussed.
The Commanders would also deliberate on the optimal utilisation of the Navy’s share of the defence budget through prioritising capital acquisitions and modernisation plans to bridge critical capability gaps. The four day conference would culminate on 11th May.
The Naval Commander’s Conference would be addressed by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri during the inaugural session followed by discussions with the officials of Ministry of Defence.
***
Ministry of Defence
08-May, 2018 17:41 IST
Raksha Mantri Addresses Naval Commanders’ at New Delhi
Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the first edition of the bi-annual Naval Commanders’ Conference,here today. Addressing Senior Leadership of the Navy, the Raksha Mantri commended the men and women of Indian Navy for their professionalism and dedication in performing the duties of safeguarding the maritime interest of the nation.
The Raksha Mantri expressed satisfaction with which the Indian Navy has continued to maintain a high operational tempo through regular deployment of ships, submarines and aircraft in the Areas Of Responsibility (AOR). During her address, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman said, “I am confident that Navy's Maritime Domain Awareness in our Areas of Interests will enable it to respond effectively to the various contingencies, such as Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and anti-piracy. I am glad that the efforts have already started showing results, with the Indian Navy responding proactively to numerous crisis situations around the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in the last few months; including the heavy rains and flooding in Sri Lanka and post Cyclone 'Mora' in Bangladesh and Myanmar. I also compliment the Navy for the efficient HADR operations undertaken in the wake of Cyclone ‘Ockhi’ in November last year.”
The Indian Navy, in addition to being the primary instrument and manifestation of the nation's maritime power, has also established itself as a potential tool for military diplomacy, said the Raksha Mantri. She further added that the Navy has been playing an important role in furthering our national and foreign policy objectives through active cooperation and engagement with not just IOR littorals, but maritime nations across the globe.
Complimenting the Navy, Smt Sitharaman said that today India and the Indian Navy have emerged as the first port of call and a dependable partner for IOR littoral navies, to address their maritime security needs.
While addressing the Commanders, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman said, “I firmly believe that as a nation we cannot be truly self-reliant until we are able to develop our own weapons and sensors. Indian Navy's active role in engaging with a wide range of R&D and production agencies – Government, Semi Governmentand private is indicative of its commitment. Towards this endeavour, the Combat Management System for the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier being developed with a private vendor (M/s Tata Power SEO) is a big step towards Strategic partnership between the MoD and Industry. Programme ‘Samudrika’, which will result in achieving 100 percent indigenisation of the Electronic Warfare fit onboard Indian Naval Platforms, is also reflective of Indian Navy's continued efforts towards indigenisation.”
Stressing on indigenisation and self-reliance, the Raksha Mantri said, “I am happy to note that shipbuilding projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore have been tendered and are progressing towards contract conclusion. Projects worth Rs 760 crore for construction of yard crafts are also being targeted for early conclusion through private and small shipyards, to bolster the 'Make in India' initiative and provide the necessary impetus to the Indian Shipbuilding Industry. With other shipbuilding projects covering a vast spectrum of weapon intensive platforms, Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs), Fleet Support Ships and Diving Support Vessels on the anvil, I am sure our Indigenous Shipbuilding Industry would rise to the occasion and keep pace with the Indian Navy’s planned modernisation program.”
Taking note of the critical capability shortfalls that the Navy is facing today in ship-borne multi-role helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft, unmanned platforms, conventional submarines and surface ships which need urgent redressal to maintain the combat edge of the Navy, she assured the Commanders that these issues are being given due impetus at the MoD and measures are being put in place to mitigate these shortcomings at the earliest.
During the interaction with the Commanders, she congratulated the Indian Navy for the progress made with respect to the Digital Navy Vision Document, wherein significant initiatives to transform Indian Navy have been undertaken. Initiatives like Indian Navy Entrance Test towards transforming recruitment process, development of Naval Civilian Management Information System and Naval Civilian Pay & Pension Office, which are in keeping with the Digital India initiative of the Government are noteworthy and need to be continued, said the Raksha Mantri.
In her concluding remarks, Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated that our maritime interests have a vital and elaborate relationship with the country's economic growth and thus the need for a strong and credible Indian Navy cannot be over emphasised. She took cognizance of the importance of long term funding for the sustained growth of the Navy and assured that adequate funds would be provided to mitigate critical shortfalls.
Ministry of Defence
11-May, 2018 15:33 IST
Naval Commander’s Conference concludes
The first Biannual Naval Commander’s Conference of 2018 concluded today after four productive days of intense deliberations on a wide range of issues. The Conference was inaugurated by the Raksha Mantri, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, who set the tone for the deliberations stating that the Indian Navy is a force to reckon with in the Indo-Pacific region. The RM also assured the Naval Commanders that endeavours to bridge critical capability gaps in Ship-borne helicopters, Fleet Support Ships and Submarines would be progressed by the Government. The Minister also extended support to the long-term capability acquisition plans of the Navy that have been formulated with a strategic view of the Indo-Pacific region. The imperative need for approval of the second indigenous aircraft carrier for the Navy was also deliberated upon. This project along with the other shipbuilding projects already underway or in the pipeline including Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs), Landing Platform Dock (LPD), Anti-Submarine Shallow Water Craft, Diving Support Vessels and Survey Vessels are expected to provide a major thrust to the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative of the Government.
Major shipbuilding projects in Indian Shipyards, both Private and Public result in the creation of jobs at these Shipyards as well as encouragement to MSMEs to develop indigenous technologies and manufacturing units in support of these major shipbuilding projects. The fifteen-year ‘naval Indigenisation Plan’ promulgated in 2015 by the Navy has set the tone for the Indian Industry to create infrastructure, skilling and jobs.
The Conference also undertook a review of the Navy’s Mission Based Deployments. The review was aimed at maximising benefits accrued from the deployment of IN ships and aircraft to critical areas within the IOR. Measures such as information sharing with other navies as well as combining Defence Diplomacy initiatives such as Bi-lateral exercises and port visits into these deployments are planned to be undertaken.
The Navy’s new Transition Cycle for ships from maintenance to operations was also reviewed by the Commanders. This has resulted in considerable improvement in combat efficiency and crew proficiency of ships undergoing the new Transition Cycle. The new Transition Cycle has also resulted in the overall improvement of Op Logistics, spares management and forecasting, Refit planning and expenditure management.
The Naval Commander’s Conference also saw the inauguration of a new Digital Library available pan-Navy for knowledge management and retrieval including archiving of critical data and information. This was complemented by deliberations on the security and hardening of naval data networks in keeping with contemporary cyber security practices. In keeping with the Navy’s ethos of harnessing niche technologies, concrete plans to incorporate Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence into the Navy’s operational functioning have also been formulated.
The Naval Commanders also interacted with Shri Arvind Subramanian, the Chief Economic Advisor and the Chiefs of the Army and Air Force. The next edition of the Naval Commander’s Conference is scheduled in Oct/ Nov later this year.
*********