Top Navy commanders will meet next week to brainstorm key modernisation challenges, increased role of women and indigenisation initiatives as they unveil the force’s new strategic guidance document. They will also be deliberating on key technological enablers for the transformation of Navy during the second edition of this biannual Commanders’ Conference, scheduled to be conducted from October 26-28. These deliberations shall serve as a roadmap for Navy till 2030. In response to the prevalent geo-economic and geo-strategic scenarios, the Navy’s role and responsibilities have expanded significantly in the last decade.
These developments have necessitated a revision of the Navy’s strategic guidance document ‘Freedom to Use the Seas: India’s Maritime Military Strategy’ published in 2007.
The conference would witness the unveiling of the follow-on edition titled ‘Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy’ by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
This edition aims to highlight the incontrovertible link between the seas and India’s resurgence in the 21st century, a Navy statement said. It said that indigenisation, in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is the key driver for Navy’s roadmap. The Navy has been at the forefront of indigenisation with 47 ships currently under construction at Indian shipyards.
The Chief of the Naval Staff reviews critical operational and administrative issues in the Navy biannually, during the Naval Commanders’ Conference.