Mumbai: Saying that maritime terrorism poses a serious threat to national security, Western Naval Command Chief Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Friday asserted that the Indian Navy is committed to deter any military adventurism from the sea.
“Maritime terrorism, piracy, robbery, illegal and unregulated fishing in Indian waters, human, arms and drug trafficking is on the rise and needs fresh paradigm for maritime security. Maritime terrorism has expanded in recent years and is manifesting in new ways and means. Piracy and armed robbery at sea have also flared up in new regions. The constant challenge of unregulated activities poses a considerable challenge,” Tripathi said on board naval warship INS Chennai in Mumbai ahead of Navy Day celebrations at Sindhudurg Fort.
The top Navy officer said that the Western Naval Command was “Mission Deployed and Combat Ready” to counter threats to Indian maritime security. “The presence of our units on ‘Mission Based Deployments’ across our operations, duly supported by extensive surveillance have contributed significantly towards maintaining peace in the Indian sea,” Tripathi added.
He also said that efforts are on to strengthen the fleet by focusing on indigenisation. “21 warships and five submarines, all constructed in Indian shipyards, have been commissioned in the last nine years. We have also concluded 12 shipbuilding contracts worth Rs 1.15 lakh crore with 65 ships and submarines are being constructed in Indian shipyards,” said Tripathi.
The Western Naval Command Chief said that one of the prime reasons of holding the Navy Day celebrations at the iconic Sindhudurg Fort in Malvan-Rajkot in Maharashtra was to apprise people from rural areas of the prowess of the Indian Navy.
“There would be no better place than the Sindhudurg Fort to hold the Navy Day celebrations away from any major naval station. The fort was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and this year also happens to be his 350th year of coronation. The celebrations will bring maritime consciousness to people and also let them know how the Indian Navy conducts its operations,” he said.
Sindhudurg Fort will host the Navy Day to be held on December 4. Twenty warships and 40 aircrafts, including renowned models like MiG 29K, LCA Navy and MARCOS, will be major attractions of this event.
This is the first time that the Indian Navy will be organising a mega event away from any major naval station. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief guest for the event, will also unveil the grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot-Malvan, on this occasion.
