NEW DELHI: The country’s apex defence leadership has urged naval commanders to maintain a high degree of combat readiness and strengthen maritime surveillance, while underlining its role in safeguarding India’s energy security amid the prevailing situation in West Asia.During the Naval Commanders’ Conference 2026, defence minister Rajnath Singh underscored India’s growing strategic responsibilities in the maritime domain and stressed the need to strengthen maritime surveillance, analytical capability and operational responsiveness.Navy chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, who gave the inaugural address during the conference, reviewed the prevailing maritime security environment and Navy’s operational posture. He underscored the imperative of maintaining a high degree of combat readiness, agility and responsiveness while accelerating technology absorption and capability development to address contemporary and emerging challenges across the maritime domain.Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani acknowledged Indian Navy as a strategic force multiplier and commended its sustained efforts towards technology absorption, Aatmanirbharta and safeguarding India’s energy security. He highlighted the changing character of warfare and emphasised the need for accelerated technology transformation, seamless data sharing, enhanced resilience and sustenance, underpinned by greater jointness and integration across the services.Army chief Gen Dhiraj Seth also interacted with naval commanders and shared perspectives on the contemporary security environment. The interaction focused on further strengthening tri-service synergy, interoperability and integrated responses to emerging security challenges. The discussions reinforced the need for closer coordination and continued exchange of operational lessons among the services towards enhancing joint preparedness, officials said.The engagements with CDS and Army chief provided an opportunity for the naval leadership to exchange perspectives on the evolving character of warfare, capability development and the increasing importance of integrated operations in addressing emerging security challenges.During the remaining sessions of the three-day conference, the naval leadership will undertake detailed deliberations on operations, material, logistics, human resources, training, force development and induction of emerging technologies. Measures to optimise force levels, strengthen combat readiness and accelerate capability development will also be reviewed, it said.
