KOCHI, Aug 12:
Defence Minister A K Antony today stressed the need for a strong and vigilant Navy to defend India’s mainland, island territories, off-shore assets, exclusive economic Zone around the coastline and maintaining sea lanes of communications.
Speaking on the occasion of launching ceremony of the first ever Indigenous Aircraft Career (P-71), INS Vikrant, being built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited here, Mr Antony, who was the chief guest of the function, said “we must continue the process of strengthening indigenous capability towards securing our maritime interests.”
“Our Navy must continue to maintain high operational readiness at all times to ward off any likely misadventure against our national interests,” he added.
Stating that the country’s warship building programme must meet the Navy’s force level requirements, he said over the years, the navy had made a distinct shift from a “Buyers Navy to a Builder’s Navy.”
“I strongly urge the Indian industry to participate whole-heartedly in our ship building programmes and further consolidate our strength in this field,” he added.
Stating that the launching of the aircraft carrier marked a ‘red letter’ day, not just for the Navy and shipbuilding industry, but also for the entire nation, he said “it is indeed a proud moment for the country to witness our efforts at achieving self-reliance in the field of warship design and construction, as only a very few advanced countries in the world possesses the capability to design and build air craft carriers.”
The launching of the indigenous aircraft carrier marked just the first step in a long journey, but at the same time an important one, as India becomes the sixth nation which had the capability of building aircraft carriers, he said.
Claiming that the country had the capability and technology to match the best in the world, he said “on its part, the government would extend all its support in sustaining and supporting warship design and building.”
Stating that it took several years to develop design capability and technical expertise to conceptualise, design and produce warship, particularly an aircraft carrier, the Defence Minister said “the required skills can be realised only by hands-on experience in warship design and production skills.”
“It is equally essential that we can retain and sharpen established designing capabilities, shipbuilding technology knowhow and human resources in the years to come,” he added.
Lauding the activities of the CSL, Mr Antony said Cochin Shipyard Limited was one of the major shipbuilding yards in the country with its good facilities, infrastructure and a skilled workforce for ship building and ship repairing. (UNI)
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