Navy commissions new base to support surveillance in Indian Ocean Region

NEW DELHI: In the increasingly complex and challenging maritime environment, where threats can emerge swiftly and often invisibly, the ability to collect, analyse and share information in real time will define both deterrence and defence, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said on Friday.

“As India moves towards the vision of Vikshit Bharat, our maritime interests are set to increase manifold - stretching across trade, energy and connectivity. To safeguard these growing interests, our approach to maritime information must be guided by the trinity of invention, innovation, and integration,” the Navy chief said, at the commissioning of the new base INS Aravali .

INS Aravali, located at Gurugram, will support different information and communication centres of the Navy, which in turn are crucial to strengthening the country’s maritime domain awareness (MDA), command and control framework.

The base will also support the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) set up in 2014, which takes feeds from multiple sources ranging from coastal radars to satellites to assess threats in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), and the Information Fusion Centre–IOR located in Gurugram, which was established in 2018.

“This new base will not only be a hub of technology, but also of collaboration linking our platforms and partners across the oceans, a true embodiment of our PM’s collaborative vision of `Mahasagar’ (mutual and holistic advancement for security and growth across regions). It will further strengthen India's role as the preferred security partner in the IOR,” Admiral Tripathi said.

INS Aravali, with its motto `maritime security through collaboration’, will work seamlessly with naval warships and units, MDA centres and allied stakeholders. “It will help in facilitating vigilance to defend the country’s maritime interests,” an officer said.