India’s Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi held the annual press conference on the eve of Navy Day 2024. Briefing the media, Navy Chief outlined India’s naval ambitions with two mega nuclear submarines and the forthcoming submarine Project-75(I) under the strategic partnership model.
The CNS elaborated that Indian Navy has an extensive roadmap, including the Acceptance of Necessity for 31 ships and submarines, 60 utility helicopters, and the induction of autonomous systems, reflecting its commitment to becoming an Atmanirbhar Navy by 2047. Also, two special task forces, led by Rear Admiral rank officers, have been established to integrate niche and disruptive technologies like AI, robotics, and quantum computing, sourcing innovations from Indian startups, MSMEs, and industries.
Responding to the insightful question by Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief of SP Guide Publications, about what it truly means to be “future ready,” and what are the key pillars of it, the Navy Chief outlined the essential elements required and emphasized that being future ready is not about merely reacting to unforeseen events, but about positioning the Navy in a way that allows it to respond swiftly and effectively to challenges before they escalate.
In an interesting development, The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is set to build a new 190-MW submarine nuclear reactor, marking a pivotal advancement in the country’s nuclear and maritime capabilities. The reactor will power P77 nuclear attack submarine - SSN and S-5 ballistic missiles nuclear submarines–SSBN. Manish Kumar Jha reports that this critical technology for national security comes at a time when China has succeeded in building a land-based prototype nuclear reactor for a large surface warship.
As Indian Government’s ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence gathers momentum, OEMs from all over the globe are keen on tying up with Indian manufacturers. In an exclusive interaction with Manish Kumar Jha, Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, talks about the comprehensive range of bilateral trade and Security relations between the two countries and how Italian Shipbuilding companies are keen on collaborating with India.
There is also a feature on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to India, marking a historic chapter in the Indo-German ties that now seem to surpass trade and commerce to defence and security with the potential to collaborate across the strategic and military domains from submarines to nextgeneration aircraft.
Wish you all discerning readers happy reading!
Jai Hind!
