The inaugural edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2022 will begin today and will last through April 28, 2022, with the goal of debating critical maritime issues. Notably, the Conference provides a place for Naval Commanders to debate critical maritime issues at the military-strategic level, as well as connect with top Government functionaries through an institutionalised format.
Deliberation on past, existing, & future strategies
During the conference, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and senior Naval Commanders will examine important operational, materiel, logistics, human resource development, training, and administrative tasks completed by the Indian Navy in the previous six months. There will also be a discussion on the future plans for significant events and projects.
The naval commanders will also discuss the dynamics of the geostrategic situation in the context of the security situations in the vicinity, as well as changes occurring as a result of the current Russia-Ukraine war. The Indian Army and Air Force Chiefs will also meet with the Naval Commanders to examine the convergence of the three Services in terms of a single operating environment, as well as opportunities for enhancing Tri-Service synergy and preparedness, according to the release.
The Indian Navy has been focusing on being a combat-ready, credible, and cohesive force with a future-ready mindset, and it has been executing its mandate with zeal. With the confluence of India’s rising maritime interests, the Indian Navy has seen tremendous increase in its operational tasking over the years, as well as as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in recent times. In addition to carrying out its mammoth effort ‘Mission Sagar,’ Indian Navy Ships launched various COVID-related outreach operations to give food and medical relief to Indian Ocean Region (IOR) littoral states in FY 20-21.
First foreign tour by the Navy Chief
Admiral R Hari Kumar visited the Maldives as part of his maiden foreign tour after being appointed Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) on April 18, 2018. During his visit, he met with President of the Republic of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamad Solih, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, and Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal (CDF).
On 18 April 2022, the Navy chief attended a reception onboard the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sutlej to identify new possibilities for broadening the scope of bilateral cooperation in defence and marine domains. Notably, INS Sutlej is now deployed to the Maldives as part of a hydrographic cooperation MoU. The Navy Chief also displayed the first ‘Navigation Chart’ made jointly by India and the Maldives, as well as hydrography equipment to strengthen the Maldives National Defence Force’s organic capabilities (MNDF).
Creating defence alliances
During his visit, India’s Chief of Naval Staff, General Admiral R. Hari Kumar, met with Minister of Defence Uza. Mariya Didi to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the Indian Navy and MNDF in the areas of maritime information sharing, maritime domain awareness, bilateral maritime agreements, and capacity-building initiatives. Importantly, the Maldives’ Defence Minister was the Chief Guest at the Indian Naval Academy’s Passing Out Parade in November 2021, and Col Ibrahim Hilmy, Commandant of the Maldives Coast Guard, led the Maldives Delegation at MILAN-2022, which India held in Visakhapatnam in February 2022.
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