Form of words:
New Delhi: Gunner specialist and Unified Theater Command advocate Admiral R. Hari Kumar on Tuesday 25. took over asth Chief of Naval Staff. He will replace Admiral Karambir Singh, who retired from service after a 30-month stint as Navy Chief.
“It is an honor for me to take over as the Chief of the Naval Staff. The focus of the Indian Navy is on our national maritime interests and challenges,” said Admiral Kumar receiving the guard of honor at South Block in the national capital.
Admiral Kumar was previously the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. Among the last nine Navy Chiefs, he is the fourth to have commanded the Rajput-class guided missile destroyer INS Ranvir. He has commanded the aircraft carrier INS Viraat apart from other surface ships.
Born on 12 April 1962, a National Defense Academy graduate had joined the Indian Navy on 1 January 1983. He is the first Navy Chief to come from Kerala.
His appointment comes at a time when the Navy is in the midst of a modernization process amid an ongoing challenge from China, which has the world’s fastest growing navy.
The new Navy chief is a strong supporter of the planned Integrated Theater Command. He was instrumental in formulating the concept as the Chief of Integrated Defense Staff.
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Tasks before the new chief
According to Navy sources, the main task of the new chief will be to ensure that the pace of modernization of the Navy increases despite budgetary concerns.
Amid the odds, the Navy has already shelved its plans to become a 200-ship strong force. It is now planning a 170-ship force. Currently, 39 submarines and surface ships are under construction At various Indian shipyards apart from two warships being built for the Navy in Russia.
However, India has commissioned just a couple of capital warships each in the last five years – Not enough Even to replace retiring warships.
This is in stark contrast to the Chinese pace of commissioning around 18-20 warships every year.
a US Department of Defense report good China’s military capabilities this month noted that the People’s Liberation Army Navy has the world’s largest navy, with an overall combat force of about 355 ships and submarines, including more than 145 major surface combatants, numbering more than Americans.
china also set to launch Its third aircraft carrier, which will have catapult technology for take-off instead of the traditional ski-jump. It also comes as India debates whether there should be a third aircraft carrier as well. It is estimated that China may end operations of six aircraft carriers by 2030.
Admiral Kumar’s approach to the third aircraft carrier, which the Navy is pushing, will be closely monitored as the CDS and others in the defense establishment instead called for Transforming Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands into “Unimaginable Carriers”.
The new Navy chief will also have to take forward ‘Project 75 India’ as the force aims to build six new conventional submarines with Air Independent Propulsion System.
Admiral Kumar, who has done courses at the Naval War College, US, Army War College, Mhow and Royal College of Defense Studies, UK, has also led the plan to induct new helicopters to the naval fleet as well as new fighters. Will have to do , both projects have been hanging in limbo For a long time.
His other major focus will continue with the Navy’s vision on interoperability with other navies of the world through joint bilateral and multilateral exercises.
Embrace Mother, IIT Ambitions
On Tuesday, the new Navy Chief marked his acquisition ceremony by embracing his mother B Vijayalakshmi at the South Block lawns.
Speaking to reporters at the event, the Admiral said that he used to write letters to his mother every Friday during NDA days to fulfill the promise made to his father. They said that He did not nurture the ambition to join the armed forces during his school days. His aim was to get an engineering seat in IIT or any college in Kerala.
“My maternal uncle Wing Commander SKJ Nair, my cousin Indian Army Captain H. Muraleedharan and Major General RP Bhadran inspired me to join the force. He encouraged me to appear for the entrance exam of the National Defense Academy.” said Manorama News,
(Edited by Amit Upadhyay)
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