NEW DELHI: Top Navy commanders will kick off a four-day conference on Tuesday to review the security situation and operational preparedness in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), amid the ever-expanding Chinese forays into the region, the threat from pirates and Houthi rebels, and the current situation in Bangladesh. The naval commanders’ conference, chaired by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, will deliberate on “significant strategic, operational and administrative issues” against the backdrop of the evolving geopolitical dynamics, regional challenges and “complexity” in the maritime security situation in West Asia, officers said on Monday. In addition to the regular presence of Chinese warships and ‘spy’ vessels in the IOR, which saw destroyer Hefei and amphibious warfare ships Wuzhishan and Qilianshan docking at Colombo last month, the growing Beijing-Islamabad collusiveness in the maritime domain after the land borders poses a major strategic challenge for India.
China is helping Pakistan build a strong Navy, having already delivered four Type 054A/P multi-role frigates, for instance, while eight Yuan-class diesel-electric submarines are also in the pipeline. The Indian naval commanders will also review modernization plans as well as operational, logistics, human resource development, training and administrative activities over the last six months, and the future key milestones to be crossed to safeguard maritime interests. While defence minister Rajnath Singh will add.
