Top Naval Commanders to meet in New Delhi A three day Naval Commanders Conference is scheduled to be held at New Delhi from 25-27 Oct 16. The Conference is an opportunity for the top-level leadership of the Navy to review the prevailing as well as emerging operational and functional issues. The Conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of recent events that have brought issues related to the countrys defence under sharper focus. Indian Navy, like the other two Armed Forces, is required to maintain a high degree of operational preparedness to deter or neutralise any threat aimed at the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity. On a broader canvas, the overall security situation in the Indo-Pacific region requires the Indian Navy to promote and protect national interests across Indias extended maritime neighbourhood. The Commanders Conference would be utilised by the Operational Commanders to examine and analyse different paradigms related to operations, training and resource-availability for meeting the wide range of taskings and expectations. The Honble Minister of Defence is scheduled to address and interact with the Naval Commanders on the opening day of the Conference. The Conference will also be used as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the naval top-brass and other government officials. As part of Navys future force-level planning, the Conference will examine a series of measures under the Make in India scheme and recommend ways to further indigenise defence procurements, in order to overcome the major challenges being faced. The Commanders would also delve on the Navys roadmap for the future, including key technology enablers, improved logistics and digitisation. The progress of activities in 2016, which was earmarked as the Year of the Civilian Personnel, will be further reviewed during the Conference. DKS/AC
