SHORTLY after assuming charge as the 26th Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on Tuesday said the Navy should remain operationally ready at all times to deter potential adversaries in view of the emerging challenges in the maritime domain. Admiral Tripathi, regarded as a communication and electronic warfare specialist, took the reins of the force following the retirement of incumbent R Hari Kumar after a career spanning four decades. An alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa, Admiral Tripathi was serving as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. The admiral took charge of the Navy at a time when various strategic waterways, including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, were witnessing security challenges, especially with Houthi militants targeting merchant ships in the region. “Over the years, our Navy has evolved into a combat-ready, cohesive, credible, and future-proof force, for which I want to thank all the esteemed former Chiefs of the Navy,” he told reporters.

 

“The existing and emerging challenges in the maritime domain mandate the Indian Navy to remain operationally ready to deter potential adversities at sea in peace and to win the war at sea when asked to do so,” he said. “That will remain my singular focus and endeavour,” the new Navy Chief said. Besides the situation in the Red Sea, there have been growing concerns in India’s security establishment over China’s increasing forays into the Indian Ocean Region. “I will also strengthen the ongoing efforts of the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance), towards new technologies and becoming an important pillar of the nation’s development towards our collective quest for ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he said.