VISAKHAPATNAM:Ahead of the International Fleet Review in February next year, the significant Tri-Service (southern theatre) Commanders’ conference will be hosted at the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) here Thursday. The conference is conducted at the headquarters of all the three defence services in the southern region by turns and was last held at Trivandrum under the aegis of the Southern Air Command. The meeting will be chaired by ENC Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral Satish Soni, at Swarna Jyoti Auditorium at the Vizag Naval Base.
Recent developments along the Indian Ocean region in general and southern peninsula in particular pose security challenges for the armed forces. During the conference, the seven Commanders-in-Chief will review the progress made on various operational and logistic issues since the last meeting. They would devise ways and means to integrate and coordinate the joint forces to protect the Indian waters apart from discussing the issues pertaining to security of maritime borders.
“The conference provides an excellent opportunity for the commands to undertake meaningful discussions and arrive at mutually agreeable solutions to enhance inter-operability and synergy between the three services,” the Navy authorities said in a release. Various aspects of common infrastructural and joint training facilities for enhancing the professional skills of the defence personnel to promote jointmanship also will be deliberated.
Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, Southern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, Andaman and Nicobar Command Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Pradip Kumar Chatterjee, Southern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, South Western Air Command Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Marshal RK Dhir and Southern Air Command Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Marshal Jasbir Walia arrived in the city Wednesday for the conference.