Tag: Karambir Singh

  • Indo-Pacific witnessing day-to-day competition for influence, says Navy chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is working on “tailor-made” solutions to help friendly countries confront pressing challenges in the maritime domain with a broader aim to emerge as a preferred security partner and make a real contribution for an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said on Wednesday.

    Without naming China, he also talked about some states applying “land-centric” territorial mindsets in the basic idea of global commerce in the Indi-Pacific with an attempt to seek greater domination and control that has created challenges to global rules.

    In an address at a seminar, Admiral Singh said there has been a “day-to-day” competition for influence in the Indo-Pacific that brings with it attendant and evolving challenges, noting that the rules of game are “constantly changing”.

    He said the Indian Navy has prioritised certain elements in its efforts to play a more constructive and stabilising role in the Indo-Pacific that including working towards developing collective maritime competence in the region.

    “Our Navy’s endeavour is to help harness competencies collectively to tackle the common challenges being faced. In this, creation of a participative inclusive ecosystem rather than a prohibitive elitist one has been our priority,” he said.

    He said the second element is to look outward and be ambitious in its engagement while the third one is to engage with partner nations to develop interoperability and trust with an aim to come together in a “plug and play” fashion when needed.

    Admiral Singh said the final element is to focus on the real problems being faced by regional nations on a day-to-day basis and help them with tailor-made solutions.

    “For example, the island nations in the Indian Ocean Region, their economy is tourism-oriented.

    Their problems are of drug smuggling, human smuggling,” he said.

    “Therefore, as the Indian Navy, we are working to develop tailor-made solutions to these problems.

    Only when we address the challenges that the nations in the region face, we can hope to emerge as a preferred security partner in the region and make a real contribution towards a free, more open and increasingly inclusive region,” Singh said.

    The top Navy commander cautioned that any contest in the region will impact all other countries and not just the contenders as he called for a comprehensive approach by like-minded countries to deal with the emerging challenges.

    “There is a danger of global commons turning into contested seas.

    Competition in the Indo-Pacific is becoming more diverse, involving levers of diplomacy, commerce, ideologies, values, science and technology apart from the military,” he said.

    “If we are to ensure the security and safety of global commons, like-minded navies must come together to manage and maintain the global commons for prosperity,” the Navy chief added.

    He said the future of the Indo-Pacific hinges on cooperative efforts of like-minded nations, asserting that prosperity, security and growth for all in the region can only be accomplished under a collaborative approach.

    “We have to be aware of the evolving nature of the competition and the contestation in this region.

    “What we are seeing today is some states applying land centric territorial mindsets in the basic idea of global commerce, attempting to seek greater domination and control.

    and therefore it creates challenges to international rules, regulations and reinterpretation of such conventions,” he added.

    There has been growing global concern over China’s increasing expansionist behaviour in the Indo-Pacific that has forced many countries to come out with strategies to deal with the challenge.

  • Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh arrives in Oman on three-day visit 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh arrived in Oman on Sunday for a three-day visit aimed at further expansion of bilateral military ties with the influential Gulf nation.

    The Navy Chief will hold talks with the top military brass of the Gulf nation, including his Omani counterpart Rear Admiral Saif bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi, during his visit from September 27-29, officials said.

    “The visit aims to consolidate bilateral defence relations with Oman, as also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation,” Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

    Apart from talks with Al-Rahbi, Singh is also scheduled to meet Chief of Staff Omani armed forces Vice Admiral Abdullah Khamis Abdullah Al Raisi, Commander of Royal Army of Oman Maj Gen Matar Bin Salim Bin Rashid Al Balushi, Commander of Royal Air Force Air Vice Marshal Khamis Bin Hammad Bin Sultan Al Ghafri.

    He would also be visiting key defence installations like Muaskar Al Murtafa (MAM) camp, Maritime Security Centre (MSC), Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Al Musanna Air Base and National Defence College, Oman.

    The Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Navy of Oman on many fronts that include operational interactions and training.

    Both navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr since 1993.

    This exercise was last conducted in 2020 off Goa and the next edition is scheduled in 2022.

    “This official visit of the Chief of Naval Staff to Oman highlights the growing cooperation between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman,” Commander Madhwal said.

  • Jointness of three armed forces important amid changing nature of war: Navy chief Karambir Singh

    By PTI
    PUNE: Naval Chief Admiral Karambir Singh on Saturday said the nature of war is changing where there is a need to engage adversaries in all domains like land, sea, air, space and cyber, and stressed on the increased importance of “jointness” among the country’s three services.

    Admiral Singh was speaking at the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla here after reviewing the Passing Out Parade of the 140th course of the academy.

    “The nature of war is changing and it is important to engage adversaries in all domains, like land, sea, air, space and cyber. It is for this reason that the jointness among the three services is far more important than in the past,” he said.

    The armed forces are seeing landmark defence reforms with the establishment of the Department of Military Affairs, institution of Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) and soon to be formed theatre commands, the Navy chief said.

    “Traditions, identity, uniforms and customs of each service matter as do the requirements generated by the distinctive role of the three services. But jointness in the armed forces is paramount for more synergised and effective application of force in today’s complex battlefield.”

    ALSO READ| Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh performs push-ups with National Defence Academy cadets

    The NDA has been a symbol of jointness for 72 years and its existence enforces the core values of jointmanship, which are the founding principles of the academy, Admiral Singh said.

    “All of you must remember that no matter how future warfare evolves, few personal abilities and attributes remain the key for effective leadership. Leadership, as you know is the essence of an officer,” he said in his address to the cadets.

    Admiral Singh, an alumnus of the NDA’s 56th course, arrived at his alma mater on Friday, after which he visited his parent squadron “H” (Hunter Squadron) and interacted with the cadets.

    He presented a memento for the squadron to the cadets, an official statement said.

    During his visit, the Navy chief got down on his hands and did push-ups with the cadets, as is the tradition followed in the squadron, it said.

    The entire staff of the Admiral, NDA Commandant and other officers present there also joined him, the statement added.

  • Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh performs push-ups with National Defence Academy cadets

    By PTI
    PUNE: It was a passing-out parade at the National Defence Academy (NDA) here like every year, but Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh decided to push the envelop a little further when he did push-ups with cadets.

    He was at the NDA on Friday to review the passing-out parade of its 140th course.

    Pictures of the Navy chief doing push-ups with cadets soon went viral on social media, wowing netizens.

    The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh doing Squadron Type Push Ups at NDA. Giving serious competition to the young cadets! #FitnessGoals pic.twitter.com/tniHbU2BEc
    — PRO Udhampur, Ministry of Defence (@proudhampur) May 28, 2021

    “It was the CNS who initiated the push-ups with cadets and we all joined in,” said NDA Commandant Lt Gen Asit Mistry.