India will continue to oppose encroachment on land, sea: Defense Secretary

Panaji. Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar said on Monday that India will work with all interested countries for peace in the region and will continue to oppose attempts to encroach on land and sea. Kumar lauded the contribution of the Indian Navy in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and said that it has been vigilant not only in safeguarding maritime borders, but also in providing assistance to a large number of coastal countries in the Indian Ocean Region (ICR). He was addressing the third edition of ‘Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC)-2021’ organized by the Indian Navy under the aegis of Naval War College, Goa here.

The theme of GMC-21 is ‘Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A Case for Proactiveness for the Navies of the Indian Ocean Region’. Kumar appreciated the contribution of the Indian Navy in fighting the pandemic. He also appreciated the Navy for saving precious lives at sea during cyclones and other natural calamities. The senior bureaucrat said that in the armed forces, the Navy not only plays an important role in ensuring safe and peaceful sea passage, but it also responds to humanitarian crises in man-made or natural calamity situations.

Naval chiefs of 12 countries of the Indian Ocean region are participating in the maritime conference being organized by the Indian Navy in Goa. These include Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The progress of the indigenously developed aircraft carrier Vikrant and its sea trials, located near the Kerala coast, is being reviewed. According to a statement issued by the Navy here, this warship had sailed for the second sea trial on October 24. The timeline for timely handover of the vessel in April 2022 has been ensured by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), the statement said. It will be formally inducted into the Navy on August 2022 on the occasion of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The ship’s propulsion systems, electrical and electronic systems, on-deck machines, life-saving equipment and other systems are being tested in the second phase of the test, the statement said.