UK's Royal Naval College welcomes first Indian Navy officer to train cadets at premier institution

London: In a significant milestone for India-UK defence cooperation on Tuesday, Lieutenant Commander N Dinesh Anand became the first Indian Navy officer to conduct training at the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England.

Lt Cdr Anand took charge as Divisional Training Officer at the premier UK training institution, an assignment which will involve him training Royal Naval Officer Cadets in crucial skills. The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that while the UK and India have a long tradition of working together as allies, this is the first time an Indian officer has worked at BRNC, Dartmouth.

“Thrilled to welcome Lt Cdr Dinesh to BRNC Dartmouth as our first Indian Navy Divisional Training Officer; India-UK navies working together, making history, building bonds, stronger together,” said Captain Andrew Bray of the Britannia Royal Naval College.

The MoD said the role of Divisional Training Officer means Anand will be a key part of a division/class of Naval Officer Cadets to transform them from civilians to Naval Officers. This training will include navigation, seamanship and leadership training.

The spokesperson for the Indian Navy said in a statement on social media: “In a significant step bolstering India-UK defence cooperation, Lt Cdr N. Dinesh Anand, Indian Navy, joins Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as Divisional Training Officer.

“As the first Indian Instructor at the premier UK training establishment, the officer would play a pivotal role in fostering friendship and interoperability between the Indian Navy and Royal Navy.” BRNC Dartmouth, located in the county of Devon, serves as the initial training establishment for officers in the Royal Navy and is renowned as the premier officer training academy in the UK. According to the MoD, it plays a vital role in defence by providing Initial Officer Training and ongoing leadership development. The college also supports defence diplomacy efforts by training international officers.

Its overarching goal is to produce courageous leaders with the determination to succeed in combat, enduring leadership training, and support to defence diplomacy outputs through the training of International officers.