Needed: A de novo assessment of capability

Naval Assemblies are more than just about pomp and show

Much has been written in recent weeks about the International Fleet Review hosted by the Chinese Navy (PLAN) at the port of Qing Dao in which two Indian naval ships also participated. Similarly, the next few days will see joint naval exercises between the Indian and French navies, termed Varuna, on the west coast of India with aircraft carriers and nuclear submarine participating. Many think of such interfaces as mere spectacles; others ascribe to them a somewhat larger dimension. The truth lies somewhere in between. 

There is, of course, ceremony and spectacle including parades, but at the core of such gatherings