Moving ahead towards modernisation and expansion of our maritime forces, the Government has approved induction of 56 new ships and six submarines. As per the vision policy in respect of ensuring that the teeth of our Navy were adequately sharp and overall prowess acquiring, various steps were being taken to modernise the Indian Navy to make it a deterrent force to keep the hegemonic presence of some countries in the Indian Ocean at bay. Indian Navy is not only guarding the entire coastal areas but is effectively monitoring the whole of the Arabian sea as well. If it is said that unwarranted presence of China in the Indian Ocean has been one of the compelling reasons to go in for crash modernising and acquiring a strong submarine fleet by Union Ministry of Defence, it will not be any sort of a hyperbole. We need vessels of various types, most of whom are indigenously made, aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, corvettes and conventional as well as nuclear powered submarines. It is heartening that the importance and the urgency of putting our Navy in combat to face any eventuality and emerge as one of the most powerful Blue Water Navies in the world has been felt now more than ever before.
On the eve of the Navy Day, Naval Chief Admiral Lanba told that a “great deal of progress” has been made on ensuring synergy and “jointness” among the three services. This observation of the Naval Chief carries a significant meaning of the concerted efforts towards more of getting nearer to one another in the net professional sense to respond to any sort of challenge.
However, it is heartening to note that various steps were being taken to modernise the Navy including induction of a large fleet of military jets and choppers. The construction of a second indigenous aircraft carrier too was expected to start within a period of three years. The Navy Staff Chief is hopeful to have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and more by the year 2050 to conform to all standards of a world class top Navy. In this context, the immediate challenge from fast growing Chinese naval strength suggests to mobilise resources and the administrative will tone up the speed of modernisation as also augmenting the inventory of our Navy. Perhaps, challenges in this directions are appearing to have been not adequately addressed earlier and continuing with that policy was not in congruence to the challenges and the country could ill afford that, hence the process of induction of new war ships and procurement of other military hardware by the Navy.
So far as the thrust on having indigenously manufactured ships etc were concerned, it may be noted that 32 ships and sub marines reportedly were presently under construction in Indian shipyards and in addition to them, Government has accorded approval for 56 ships and six submarines. Could the Indian Navy handle a two front war, the Admiral very confidently admitted India’s supremacy over Pakistan Navy while the balance of power in the India Ocean rested with India as compared to China. With that note, there was no room for any toning down of the speed of modernisation and widening the possession of the latest inventory particularly in respect of the Indian Navy.
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