Indian Navy: Venturing into uncharted waters

A net security provider, safeguarding our coastline and maritime routes

- SK SHAH

A HISTORICAL date of Dec 4 commemorated as Navy Day marks the sinking of three ships in 'Operations Trident' in 1971 at Pakistan Naval head quarters in Karachi. An opulent display of Naval might comprising an armada of warships, a fleet of fighters on floating aircraft carriers, and an intriguing invisible submarine has a larger transitional message to convey. In the ensuing decade, the role and reach of the Indian Navy from coastal to global is not a strategic choice but an absolute necessity.

While the Air Force and Army are confined by the limits of land borders, the Navy tends to permeate the vastness of disputed waterways with added responsibilities of safeguarding commercial sea routes, oil & gas reserves, Communication cables, Pipelines and sea tunnels.