Increasing Chinese activities in Indian ocean not a cause for concern: Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena

Thiruvananthapuram: Southern Naval Command flag officer commanding-in-chief vice admiral Sameer Saxena has said that even as China is increasing its presence in the Indian ocean there was no need for concern as India is very well aware of their movements.

"The Chinese operations are quite opaque with regard to their intentions. But we have our eyes on them and we are confident that our national maritime interests are never jeopardized," he said.

Saxena was addressing a press conference on Tuesday in connection with the Navy Day celebrations and the operational demonstration to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

The vice admiral said that as part of enhancing the coastal security, the Indian Navy is also in the process of setting up new facilities in Lakshadweep by taking care of the ecological sensitivity of the region. A naval unit is being set up in Bitra island on Lakshadweep. The Navy, along with other security agencies, have also intensified the vigil against narcotics smuggling, which has emerged as a serious issue, he said.

He also added that the Indian armed forces demonstrated their strength in Operation Sindoor. "The Indian Navy had played a key role in asserting dominance and denied operational freedom to the adversary. The Navy's ability to establish uncontested control over the seas also validated our multi domain capabilities in a complex threat environment," he said.

Fifty-six ships under construction

The Indian Navy is in the process of augmenting its capabilities as 56 ships are under construction and nod for 65 ships and nine submarines were already received. The expansion plan included state of the art next generation offshore patrol vehicles, missile vessels, corvettes, destroyers, fleet support ships and submarines. In order to address emerging threats niche technology is also being inducted.

He also said that at present 80 percent of the assets of the Indian Navy were indigenous. At present the Indian Navy has 138 ships and submarines and over 264 aircraft.