Time to discern and adapt is shrinking: Chief Admiral emphasises need for adaptable, self-sufficient navy

Indian Navy Admiral Krishna Swaminathan spoke about the future requirements of the Navy, highlighting its potential technological hurdles as well as the brown-water force’s need for innovation in operational capabilities at the Delhi Defence Dialogue on Tuesday.

Admiral Swaminathan, citing the factors at work in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, emphasised building a navy of the 21st century that can "fight, sustain and adapt by itself without being constrained by any extraneous factors or any other person or agency… or external dependencies," according to PTI.

Swaminathan, highlighting the rapid changes in technology in the current age, said the time to discern and adapt is shrinking.


He said that democratisation of technology has led to innovation being available to both ‘good and bad boys.’

Highlighting the need to fill "critical gaps," the navy chief sought for greater investments in R&D and emerging technologies.

He also said that the time to operationalise the latest innovations needs to be reasonable.

The Admiral underscored that ‘Atmanirbharata’ did not mean isolation but to collaborate from a position of strength.

(With inputs from PTI)