The Indian Navy has effectively carried out Mission Based Deployments (MBD) to protect maritime interests by deploying naval ships and aircraft at major and sensitive locations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at a three-day Naval Commanders Conference (NCC), which began on Wednesday.
“I have full confidence in the Navy’s preparedness to meet any challenge through a proactive response in deploying its ships and aircraft,” Mr. Singh said on Twitter after addressing the conference.
The Navy is currently on high operational alert and is closely watching movements in the Indian Ocean region in the backdrop of ongoing stand-off along the border with China in Eastern Ladakh.
Since the commencement of MBD in June 2017, these deployments have facilitated enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), provided swift Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) to the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) littorals and security to the international maritime community, the Navy quoted Mr. Singh as having said.
The Navy said in a statement that the conference assumed greater significance in the backdrop of recent events on the northern borders, coupled with the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and would provide the higher naval leadership a forum to discuss conduct of operations, sustenance and maintenance of assets, procurement issues, infrastructure development and human resource management among others.
Notwithstanding the fiscal challenges, the government has invoked the emergency powers to meet the emergent requirements of the services, Mr. Singh stated referring to recent approval for emergency purchases up to ₹300 crore without any clearances.
Speaking on the unprecedented challenge posed by COVID-19, Mr. Singh referred to operation “Operation Samudra Setu” under which Indian citizens stranded overseas due to COVID-19 were brought back. In addition, under ‘Mission Sagar’, the Navy provided medical aid to countries in South West IOR, Maldives, Mauritius, Comoros, Seychelles and Madagascar.
