Mumbai, May 6 : To deliberate upon major operational issues pertaining to the Nation’s defence, a Naval Commanders' Conference will be held at the Western Naval Command Headquarters' here between May 7 and 9.

A Naval spokesperson said in New Delhi that the conference meets annually to deliberate upon major operational issues with regard to the defence of the nation's maritime interest, coastal security, defence of national assets at sea, naval strategy, its own operational and acquisition plans and the course corrections required to remain relevant with the times as also to maintain synergy with the other two service.

Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta would inaugurate the conference, which would be attended by the highest echelons of the navy from the Integrated Headquarters at New Delhi, he added.

He further informed that over the last decade, the maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean Region has become more complex, fluid and significantly more volatile. Along with the nation's economic success and elevation in international stature, the nation's regional responsibilities have also increased.

In the coming years, the Indian Navy would be called upon to play a significantly larger role so as to be a regionally relevant force and be in a position to not only counter any existing and identifiable threats but also to discharge its responsibilities of maintaining, safeguarding and furthering our nation's maritime interests including and disaster relief operations, he added.

To ensure that the navy remains an operationally focused force, capable of dealing with the challenging environment of the 21st century, surveillance of the seas around us also real time exchange if information through network centric operations assumes greater significance today and these are the primary focus areas of this year's conference, he said.

Further, he said some major platforms in all three dimensions of the navy's operation are scheduled for induction and integration of these platforms and weapon systems into the overall concept of operations assumes significance and the naval commanders would deliberate on these issue as well. (ANI)