On Monday, Union Defence Minister A K Antony informed that within a few years, the Indian Navy will be equipped with the most modern technology and thus would become capable of meeting challenges in the Indian ocean and other far-flung areas better than so called advanced nations.

While dedicating to the nation 'Abhinavam', the new technology complex of the Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Antony said, “The Indian Navy can face challenges better than the so called advanced nations.”

Referring to the naval vessel attacking Somalian pirates in the Horn of Africa, Antony explained that this episode has proved once again that the Indian Navy was capable of meeting any challenge.

Antony also said that there is a need to step up the coastal surveillance.

He also informed that within a few years, India will be able to reduce it’s over dependence on foreign suppliers for defense equipment. At present, the country has to depend on foreign suppliers for about 70 per cent of its defense needs.

Defence Minister futher added, “Efforts should be made to source 70 per cent of our needs indigenously.”

The minister was quite impressed with the infrastructure at Abhinavam for testing transducers, carrying SONAR simulation studies and archiving ocean data.