The Indian Navy held its Annual Refit Conference 23 (ARC-23) and Annual Infrastructure & Indigenisation Conference 23 (AIIC-23) on 23 and 24 February 2023 at the Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Visakhapatnam. The conference, chaired by VAdm Sandeep Naithani, Chief of Materiel (COM), focused on discussing the refit plans and operational availability of ships/submarines, as well as plans for infrastructure augmentation to meet the flourishing requirements of the Navy.
During the conference, the Chief of Materiel commended the progress made in the maintenance and sustenance aspects of the machinery, hull, weapons, and sensors of the naval platforms. He urged the technical fraternity to remain focused on the challenges faced and utilize the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computation, 5G for IoT, and robotics, to enhance the operational availability of ships and submarines by reducing maintenance periods. He also emphasized the growing role of the Indian Navy and the extended deployment of ships away from the base port, which requires greater reliance on repair authorities to deliver quality output.
The AIIC meeting held on 24 February 2023 reviewed the progress of various technical and marine infrastructure projects. The COM expressed satisfaction with the pace of the ongoing technical infrastructure projects aimed at augmenting repair and refitting facilities in the Indian Navy. Additionally, various marine infrastructure projects, including the creation of additional berthing space for future platforms planned to be inducted over the next 15 years, were reviewed during the meeting.
In line with the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, an exclusive session on indigenization was also conducted during the conference. The event was attended by delegates from the Naval Headquarters, the three Naval Commands, the Tri-Services Andaman and Nicobar Command, Director General Naval Projects, Naval Dockyards, Repair Yards, and Material Organizations of the Indian Navy.
The Annual Refit Conference and Annual Infrastructure & Indigenisation Conference provide a platform for the Indian Navy to assess its infrastructure and indigenization capabilities, review progress, and identify areas for improvement. The discussions held during these conferences are critical for maintaining and enhancing the operational readiness of the Indian Navy.
