Maritime surveillance strengthens economic interests: Vice Admiral A R Karve

KOCHI: “The programmes to modernise maritime surveillance and build up defence capability are crucial in strengthening the country's economic interest. Protecting our maritime sovereignty and the military and economic applications complement each other," Vice- Admiral A.R. Karve, PVSM, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, has said. He was addressing the international conference on sonar systems and sensors titled 'ICONS-2018' on its final day at the Adlux International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Karukutty, Angamaly, on Saturday. The three-day meet was organised by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, the systems laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

"Today India's economy depends on maritime resources, including sea water transportation. We are now in the era of integrated monitoring of water," he said.
Lauding the efforts of DRDO and NPOL, Mr. Karve said that currently, most of the Indian naval ships and submarines are equipped with the indigenous systems developed by DRDO and other organisations in the country. "In my experience, the performance of the Indian sonars is on par with that of any other foreign sonars," he added. Speaking about the future military architecture and landscape, Dr. Arogyaswami J. Paulraj, professor in Stanford University and recipient of Padma Bhushan, Marconi prize and Alexander Graham Bell award, said that artificial intelligence and unmanned autonomous platforms were fast altering the military landscape allowing next-gen soldiers to focus on mission rather than operating their tools.

"Military technology the world over is increasingly reliant on civilian technology base. India needs to focus on and take urgent measures for participating in civilian computing communications (IT) technology for military needs," he said. Mr. S. Kedarnath Shenoy, director, NPOL, and organising committee chairman, also addressed the meet. 'ICONS 2018' was organised under 11 broad themes, encompassing both theory and applications in underwater acoustic and non- acoustic technologies. Prof. John Summerscales, School of Engineering, Plymouth University, UK, delivered the keynote address on the durability of composites in the marine environment.