PIX: New navy chief says steps taken to prevent future mishaps

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan on Monday said all recent incidents involving assets of the navy have been thoroughly analysed and all standard operating procedures are being followed.

"The incidents have been analysed thoroughly at every level. We have put a safety audit organisation in place. We have reiterated to the organisation to see that all standing operating procedures are followed because navy is a highly professional service," Dhowan told reporters in Mumbai.

On the state of probe into the incidents, he said, "We have ensured that the measures that need to be taken to ensure the safety standards are in place even before the board of inquiry has been completed."

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"It will be our endeavour to see that whatever lessons are learnt from the board of inquiry, we put those measures in place throughout the navy" he added.

The Western Naval Command has taken all measures after these incidents so that the operational efficiency of submarines, ships and aircraft remains intact, said Dhowan.

The navy had a spate of mishaps involving naval warships in the recent past. Last year 18 Navy men were killed in an explosion on INS Sindhurakshak. In February this year, two navy officers were killed and seven sailors injured in a major fire in submarine INS Sindhuratna following which the then Naval Chief Admiral D K Joshi had resigned.

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"The Western Naval Command is the most important command of the navy. Our officers are capable and responsible to take care of the assets of this command and also to face all the requirements and challenges," he said.

Asked to comment on the appointment of the Chief of Naval Staff, Dhowan said it is the government's decision.

"I am a professional and will carry out my duties as far as the office of the Chief of Naval Staff is concerned with professional integrity and pride that I have had the credibility of in the last 40 years. The decision is that of the government," he said.

To a query on shifting of INS Vikrant from the naval dockyard to a ship breaking yard, he said the navy will follow proper procedures in the matter.

"This matter is in the Supreme Court. The command will take all actions in accordance to procedures. Whatever are the requirements of discarding Vikrant, we will follow the procedures," he said.

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On the procurement plans of navy, Dhowan said, "We have a long term perspective plan for procurement where we decide of our requirements. Our procurement process happens with a laid down procedure."

"Recently we have inducted aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, which is now fully operational on the western sea board under the Western Naval Command," he said.

"Shivalik class ships have been inducted into the eastern fleet. We have also our own communication satellite Rukmani which will give a tremendous boost and be a force multiplier as far as the network centric operations of the navy are concerned," he said.

The navy will further include the first ship of project-15 Alpha of the Kolkata class in the Western Naval Command. The ships of project-28 will be included in the Eastern Naval Command, Dhowan said.

There is emphasis on training of navy personnel, he said. "We have laid a lot of stress to ensure that our personnel are adequately trained, their skills are perfected so that they are ready to face any challenge posed before them. In the coming months it will be my priority to see that we work together as a team so that we can take the navy to greater heights in the coming years," he added.