In the backdrop India-China tension on border, naval commanders’ conference is considered to be highly significant

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will, on Wednesday, address the three-day Naval Commanders’ conference, which is apex level for interaction among the country’s top naval commanders and is starting from August 19 in New Delhi.

“The Conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of recent events on our northern borders, coupled with the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

It further said that the forum will provide the higher naval leadership an opportunity to discuss conduct of operations, sustenance and maintenance of assets, procurement issues, infrastructure development, human resource management and others within the ambit of the new normal established by the pandemic.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, with the Commanders-in-Chief, will review major operational, materiel, logistics, HR, training and administrative activities undertaken during the year and deliberate upon the course to be steered in the future.

Significantly, the conference is also the forum for interaction of Naval Commanders with other senior government officials.

This is the first Naval Commanders’ Conference since the institution of Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The conference would discuss ways to optimise joint planning structures, Tri-Service Synergy, and operational readiness,also functional reorganisation within the IN to improve efficiency.

In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), the commanders would also undertake deliberations upon the larger security imperatives in the Indo-Pacific.