Indian Navy commanders meet to discuss coastal security issues

New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) After the Mumbai attacks exposed
chinks in the country's coastal security shield, India's Naval
commanders will for the first time meet at the southern
coastal city of Visakhapatnam Monday to review recent measures
put in place by the government to prevent recurrence of any
such terror strikes.


Though the Naval commanders' conference is a bi-annual
affair, the present meeting at the Eastern Naval Command
assumes significance as the government had in February this
year appointed the Navy as the overall head of the maritime
security apparatus.

The conference will discuss "the Mumbai terror attacks
and its fallout, apart from reviewing the progress made in
setting up the security net desired by the government and
planning for the future," a Navy officer said here today.

Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta will chair the meeting
in which the force's acquisition plans would also be
discussed.

The plans include both the short-term, fast-track
acquisitions such as fast patrol craft approved soon after the
Mumbai attacks, and the long-terms plans for acquiring large
warships such as destroyers, frigates, corvettes, submarines
and aircraft carriers.

On February 28, the government had entrusted various
agencies, including the Coast Guard, Shipping and Petroleum
ministries, with the responsibility of coordinating the task
of securing the 7,500-km-long coastline, and also the
innumerable ports and offshore installations of oil companies.

Apart from providing the Navy with a 1,000-man 'Sagar
Prahari Bal' for securing its installations, it also set up
joint operations centres in four corners of the country and
intelligence sharing system for the coastal security agencies,
including the coastal police, customs and coast guard.

The government had also promised to increase the
number of ships, aircraft, helicopters, bases and manpower for
both the Navy and the Coast Guard. PTI NCB
DEP