R Hari Kumar: The process of buying Predator drones for surveillance of China continues, the Navy chief informed

India is preparing to buy Predator drones from America. On Saturday, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said that the process to buy 30 MQ-9B Predator drones at a cost of more than three billion US dollars is pending. Let me tell you, this is the same Predator drone, through which the Hellfire missile was launched and Al-Qaeda terrorist Al-Zawahiri was eliminated.

During the annual press conference a day before Navy Day, the Navy Chief said, this purchase is proposed to monitor China in the Indian Ocean. The three wings of the Indian Army are likely to get 10 drones under the pending proposal, he said.

Keeps a close eye on Chinese activities

The Air Force chief said, there are a lot of Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean region. It has 4-6 PLA Navy ships, then a few other vessels. A large number of Chinese vessels operating in the Indian Ocean region for fishing, he said. We keep a close eye on all the developments. About 60 other extra-regional forces are always present in the Indian Ocean region, he said. It is an important sector where a large amount of trade takes place. Our job is to see that India's interests in the maritime domain are protected.

INS-Vikrant historical event

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar termed the induction of INS Vikrant as a historic event in the history of the country and the Navy. He said INS-Vikrant is the torch bearer of self-reliance. There are very few countries that can build aircraft carriers and we are among those few. The Chief of the Naval Staff said these things on the eve of Navy Day. Navy Chief said, INS-Vikrant is a symbol of our indigenous capability, it shows our confidence. It has raised the country's stature in the world, he said. He said I am sure that Vikrant will fly the tricolor proudly in the Indo-Pacific region in the years to come.

Prime Minister Modi had commissioned

INS Vikrant, the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier, was commissioned in Kochi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Admiral R Hari Kumar. This reflects the tireless efforts of the Navy's leadership, planners, shipyard workers, industry, and other supporting agencies.

341 women in the first batch of Agniveer

The Navy Chief said, in the first batch of Agniveers, 3000 Agniveers have joined the Navy. There are 341 women in this. He said we are considering including women officers in all branches. So far women are limited to only seven to eight branches. This is the first time that women are being inducted at par with their male counterparts, the Navy chief said. It is a uniform method of selection. They are going through similar trials. The Navy chief further said women will be deployed on ships, airbases, and aircraft. They will be trained for everything. There is not going to be any difference in the training of women.

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