New Delhi: Next Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral R Hari Kumar has immense challenges awaiting him. The 59-year-old Thiruvananthapuram native will take charge at the Naval headquarters in New Delhi on the afternoon of November 30. He will be the first Keralite to become the head of the Indian Navy.
As navy chief Hari Kumar will have to grapple with national risks arising out of adverse geo-political situation.
In addition to the standoff on the eastern Ladakh border, China is also trying to challenge India in the maritime sector. China has been constantly pushing for aggressive policies in the South China Sea in a bid to increase its presence in the Indian Ocean.
Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific is another task. Measures need to be taken to further strengthen the cooperation with the US in the maritime sector. It is one of the major sea lanes through which fuel exports move. An average of 1.20 lakh ships passes through the Straits of Malacca every year.
Indian Navy has to be alert to the repercussions of China-Pak relations. China has handed over the most advanced warship to Pakistan with the aim of posing a challenge to India.
Drug-trafficking too poses a headache. After Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, drug-trafficking to India has increased. The Navy along with the Coast Guard will have to rise to the occasion to prevent drugs from being smuggled into Gujarat from Afghanistan via Iran.
Strengthening the Naval fleet too will be an important goal for Hari Kumar. Currently, the Indian Navy has 137 ships and submarines. The plan is to increase this to 200 by 2027.
Hari Kumar was named as the next Chief of Naval Staff by the Government on Wednesday. The Navy chief can be in service till the age of 62 and Hari Kumar can continue to be in office till 2024.
Kanyakumari native Sushil Kumar, who became the Navy chief in 1998, had roots in Kerala.
