Visakhapatnam: Chief of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Karambir Singh said that Indian Navy has a long-term plan to strengthen the sea force in terms of inducting ships and submarines, including nuclear submarines, besides aircraft and boosting manpower.
At present, the Indian Navy has a fleet of 134 ships, 250-odd aircraft and 13 submarines, equally distributed between two operational naval commands — the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) and the Western Naval Command (WNC) — besides the Southern Naval Command (Training Command) and the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
As of now, 34 ships are under construction at various shipyards in the country. If all goes as per plan, within 15 years, the Indian Navy will have a strong fleet of 198 ships, 450 aircraft and a good number of submarines as part of the expansion and modernisation plan, said the Vice-Admiral. The new air defence ship INS Vikrant being built in Kochi will be assigned to the ENC and Vizag will be its base and will operate across the region, he added.
Explaining the growth of the ENC over the first few decades, Karambir Singh said the ENC was established on March 1, 1968, and it has grown to be a force to reckon with in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The ENC is celebrating the Golden Jubilee Year in the form of Swarn Varsh Samaroh. In the coming years, the ENC will become the biggest sea force in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), dominating from Gulf of Mannar to the east of Malacca Strait. The Swarn Varsh Samaroh celebrations of the ENC would conclude on March 1, 2018, when a special documentary on the growth of the ENC and Vizag city would be released.
Captain R. Sharma said the first of six planned Scorpene-class (Kalvari-class) diesel-electric attack submarine (SSK), INS Kalvari, will be commissioned during the period of 2017 and 2018.
Replying to a question on the Indian Navy’s joint operations with Chinese Navy, Karambir Singh said Indian Navy and Chinese are operating together on the Gulf of Aden to thwart piracy attempts against Indian bulk carriers, he added.
Women officers to soon sail on selected warships
The Indian Navy is finalising a policy for women officers to serve on warships that have proper facilities for women. The women onboard warships of Indian Navy would work shoulder to shoulder with men in the coming years, said Chief of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Vice-Admiral Karambir Singh.
Over 50 women fighter pilots will be inducted in the Indian Navy soon. Some of the women have been working with the sea force in various ranks. The living condition on ships is different. The Indian Navy has been trying to create an environment for women to sail and work on the ships, the Vice-Admiral admitted.
Replying on the sacking of an Indian Navy man (sailor) after he underwent sex change operation, Karambir Singh said the Indian Navy’s regulations do not allow continuation in service to a Navy sailor after gender change. India is part of a majority group of countries that do not allow gender reassignment during service, he added.
