Indian Navy poised to play vital role

Visakhapatnam, Sep 12 (UNI) Minister of State for Defence M M Pallamraju today said Indian Navy would have to play a vital role in maintaining the sovereignty of the country.

Talking to newspersons after commissioning ''INS Baratang'' ship at the Naval base here, he said the navy was well equipped and was planning to strengthen its force in the near future.

The navy would procure the aircraft carrier ''Admiral Gorshkov'' from Russia and commisson it as ''Vikramaditya'' in 2007, he noted.

The indigenously-built aircraft carrier being built at the Kochi shipyard would be inducted in to the navy and based at the Eastern Naval Command, he added.

He said the navy was following the ''Look East'' policy as the economy of South East Asia was growing.

Mr Pallam Raju said the navy has been participating in most of the joint exercises and guarding the seas with the neigbouring countries.

Flag Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral Sureesh Mehta said that in the next 20 years, 120 to 150 ships would be added to the naval fleet, ''Big plans are on the anvil,'' he said, addding he hoped that money would be allocated at the right time to improve the navy's capability, he said.

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