DIVAR: The proposed Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) will play a key role in safeguarding the country’s international maritime trade, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar said here on Tuesday.
The MTC is a proposed integrated tri-services command of the Indian Armed Forces, whose responsibilities may include the command and control of the entire Indian naval fleet and coastal defence operations. It is envisioned to include assets from all the branches of the Indian military.
“The idea is to optimise the resources of the tri-Services, so that there is unity of command and effort. So yeah, all the three Services are working together to make this happen,” Admiral Hari Kumar told O Heraldo.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the “keel laying” ceremony of a “stitched sailing ship” at the premises of a private ship building company at Divar island.
The Navy chief said that securing the maritime assets of the country is equally important as protecting the shores from external threats.
“The country’s economy is growing at a rapid pace. We are now going from being the fifth largest economy in the world to becoming the third largest and maybe the second or even the largest also. So as we grow, our trade will go and vice-versa. Hence, the Navy will be also required to safeguard our maritime trade and our merchant ships,” the Navy chief said.
The Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force have a total 17 commands all across India. At the time of a war, each of the Service Chiefs will control the operations of his Service through individual commands, while they operate jointly.