Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma, in an interaction with SP's Naval Forces, highlights on the IN's role as the authority responsible for the overall maritime security of the nation. Browse through a glimpse of the interaction which would be followed by detailed interview in the successive editions of SP's Naval Forces.
SP's: Recognising the need for augmenting the rapid response mechanism to deal with maritime security challenges, the govern-ment post 26/11 has revamped the maritime security framework. What is your perspec-tive on the adequacy of approved infrastruc-ture and commensurate assets and how would it equip IN to effectively deal with this new dimension of maritime challenge?
CNS: The Cabinet Committee on Security has designated the IN as the authority responsible for the overall maritime security of the nation. This includes coastal and off-shore security. Patrolling and surveillance have been enhanced by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Marine Police of coastal states. Inter-agency coor-dination has improved through conduct of regular exercises on coastal security. All concerned Central and state government agencies like the Marine Police, CISF, Fisheries Department, Port Authorities, State Police, and Customs and Immigration are included in these exercises.
Nine additional coast guard stations have been sanctioned at Karwar, Ratnagiri, Vadinar, Gopalpur, Minicoy, Androth, Karaikal, Hutbay and Nizampatnam and are to be integrated into the 'hub and spoke concept' with coastal police stations. In addition, ICG is set to induct ships, patrol boats and aircraft at an approximate cost of over Rs. 6,000 crore ($1.25 billion), for coastal security functions.
Setting up of a Static Coastal Radar chain and a networked chain of Automatic Identification System (AIS) stations along our coast and in the island territories is also being progressed expeditiously. The radar and AIS chain would be major coastal sur-veillance assets providing gapless cover all along the coast.
The National Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence Network will integrate the Navy, Coast Guard and marine police stations as also other agencies for seamless sharing of information, concern-ing maritime security. This network will also assist in real-time decision making to act on any developing threat at sea.
The Sagar Prahari Bal, which would com-prise of 1,000 men and 80 Fast Interceptor Craft, is being formed in the navy for dedi-cated maritime security of our assets.
All these measures will result in more effective coastal security for the nation.
SP's: Recently, the Defence Minister has announced sanction for a dedicated satellite for the IN which is expected to be launched by 2010. What are the plans for its effective utilisation in support of naval operations?
CNS: Satellite communication is at the heart of Navy's vision of future network centric operations in our area of interest. Satellite Communications are key enablers for achieving high speed, high capacity, seamless and secure communications over a wide area between all types of naval plat-forms including ships, submarines, aircraft and shore headquarters. From the opera-tional perspective, satellite communication network ushers in transformational changes in Network Centric Operations in any Navy. Satellite Communications allow for real-time information exchange in various forms such as voice, video, data, etc., which is quite unreliable in HF communications systems.
SP's: Network Centric Operation has acquired global prominence. What is your vision on empowering IN with suitable capabilities in this emerging field of force multipliers?
CNS: Network Centric Operations enable sharing information on real-time basis between widely dispersed forces and diverse platforms, in order to enhance battlefield transparency. Typically, a networked environment comprises of three 'grids'. The first is a Sensor Grid that collates information from multiple sensors and helps to generate a Common Operational Picture and therefore shared awareness of the 'battlespace'. The second grid, namely Information Grid, enables exchange or dissemination of information such as operational status, information for logistics and personnel management. The third grid is the Weapon Grid, which enables integration of multiple weapon systems in a force so as to optimise ordnance delivery on selected targets. These three grids together provide the foundation for efficient and effective maritime operations.
The IN has already developed these Grids through in-house efforts. These are being periodically upgraded through software and hardware modifications by harnessing technological changes. The vision of the Navy is to have Net Centric capabilities for all our platforms in the shortest time frame. Suitable projects have been formulated to achieve this capability.
SP's: What are the maritime security imperatives for India in the context of emerging maritime prowess of China with her expanding reach into the IOR?
CNS: China and India both have legitimate interests in ensuring the safety of Sea Lines of Communications in any part of the oceans, as necessary, including the Indian Ocean, as most of their energy needs necessarily have to transit the Indian Ocean. We have sought to build a co-operative construct, and over the past few years, interactions between the PLA (Navy) and the Indian Navy have reflected this change. In 2008, Admiral Wu Sheng Li, the PLA (Navy) Chief visited India that was reciprocated by a return visit by Admiral Sureesh Mehta in 2009. Our ships took part in the International Fleet Review at Qingdao in 2009. PLA (Navy) ships have visited Kochi. Recently, Indian naval officers from the Naval Higher Command Course visited China on a study tour. The IN is structured to have capabilities that seek to serve our national-maritime interests in a complex environment.
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