Rotarians enlightened by a talk on Navies and Nations

Anil Chopra

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Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, the second senior most officer of the Indian Navy, has been in command for more than six years since January 2008, having been at the helm of the Western Fleet, Indian Coast Guard and Eastern Naval Command successively. He now has the rare distinction of heading both the operational commands of the Indian Navy. Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1975, he is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College, the Naval War College and the National Defence College. He has commanded the Missile Corvette INS Kuthar, the Destroyer INS Rajput and the Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat. For his distinguished service, the Admiral was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2007 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2013. Vice Admiral Chopra expressed delight at being in midst of some of the most eminent and well-informed citizens of Mumbai. He spoke about what it means to be an Admiral and explained the Indian Navy’s connection to the city. He said, “Mumbai is particularly close to the Indian Navy’s heart, being a vibrant port city with ancient maritime routes and a considerable naval history. It has always been the centre of intellectual curiosity and I am truly enthused to be here among you this afternoon to discuss a subject I term ‘Navies and Nations.’ As it is Navy Week and we have always been a silent service, I thought I should shed some light on what we do. One of my objectives in being here is to try and put into perspective for all of you the Navy’s role in a nation. The public at large and people who are generally well-informed are largely misinformed when it comes to the Navy. It is not an easy service; it is tough going out to sea on a tin can full of people and ammunition in all sorts of weather and doing the kind of things we have to do.”

With this introduction, he ventured forth on his talk. “As history has lucidly recorded, and as the contemporary strategic scenario emphatically demonstrates, the destinies of nations and their navies are inextricably linked. Strong nations inevitably have strong navies and strong navies have resulted in strong nations. Rich and powerful nations maintain large and expensive navies. Despite the quantum jumps in aviation, space, weapons and communication technology, nations across the world are expanding and building maritime capabilities. Even small countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar require submarines, missile firing ships and maritime aircrafts. It is because navies have certain unique attributes that enable them to decisively influence the outcome of events and conflicts on land both in peace and war.

“These distinctive aspects stem from both the nature of the sea itself and from the nuances of sea power, which I shall endeavour to highlight. The countries that have recognised the potential of sea power have succeeded in becoming superpowers while creating prosperity and progress for their people. The lack of a powerful Navy confines a nation towards limited geographical location; unable to serve its interest or exert much influence beyond its borders. This comes at a detrimental cost to the country’s economic well-being, even more so in our contemporary globalised world,” he explained.

Vice Admiral Chopra then proceeded to present a brief historical record which establishes a link between strong navies and national power and dwell on some of the fundamentals of sea and sea power. He said, “European powers discovered and conquered the new world and explored colonies in Africa and Asia purely through the strength of their maritime power and launched their almost non-existent economies, giving shape to the world, as we know it now. Rulers of Asia and the Islamic world on the other hand, turned their backs to the sea, leading to a rapid relative decline in both power and wealth. Europe’s sudden and dramatic rise was propelled by its maritime impulses — exploration, trade and international conquest. Sea-faring countries of Europe established colonial empires, held together by their naval supremacy. This period also witnessed breakthroughs in ship construction and sailing, which enabled sailors to undertake long-distance voyages.”

In conclusion, Chopra highlighted the work done by the Indian Navy. He said, “The Indian Navy has made great progress since independence; from a fledgling arm in 1957, we are on our path to becoming a truly global navy with more aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and high-performance aircraft; all far beyond the drawing board and well into induction space.
“The footprints of Indian warships can now be seen across the globe on a continual basis. For that, I praise my predecessors in uniform who have doggedly persevered, despite procedural hurdles, towards making a strong and capable Navy. As far as our overall defence policy is concerned, we are essentially a status-quo power and harbour no ambitions. As a booming
economic power, our growth will be increasingly dependent on trade, energy availability and, sooner or later, on undersea resources. We, therefore, must be aware of our maritime interests. Navies not only defend a nation or attack enemies but serve to further interests in peace through humanitarian methods. Jai Hind!”