PM Modi To Chair Combined Commanders’ Conference On Board INS Vikramaditya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Addressing
Combined Commanders' Conference last year (file photo)

Shailesh Kumar,

New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to chair the annual tri-service combined commanders’ conference on 15 December on board INS Vikramaditya sailing at least 50 nautical miles away from Kochi coast in Kerala.

This would be first time ever that tri-service commanders’ conference is being held outside Delhi. According to source, last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had asked to organize strategic conference outside Delhi.

PM Modi meeting Senior officers of
Indian Armed Forces (file photo)

Chairman Chief of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, General Dalbir Singh Suhag and Admiral Robin K. Dhowan will represent three services. 

It is learnt from reliable sources that Chiefs of IB and R&AW will also participate besides senior cabinet colleague of PM Modi. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar have already reached there. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will also delve into the conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first ever visit to Kerala after assuming power will board a chopper from INS Garuda Naval Air Station at 08:50 am. He will reach aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, by 09:30 am. Earlier, he will inspect tri-service guard of honor at INS Garuda.

Mig-29k on INS Vikramaditya (file photo)

Three service chiefs are likely to make presentation of their respective forces before Prime Minister Modi while discussing the operational challenges faced by the forces. Defence sources indicate that defence policy, defence doctrine and strategic operational challenges will be discussed in unified commanders’ conference.

Admiral Robin K. Dhowan with Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar sitting in cockpit

Issues like setting up of Chinese naval base in India’s neighborhood latest being Djibouti, Pakistan sponsored terrorism, Terror camps in PoK, ISIS threat to India, Operation preparedness of Indian Armed Forces amid two front war strategy are likely to be discussed in the unified commanders’ conference.  

Prime Minister Modi will be shown Mig 29K operations on board INS Vikramaditya including landing and take- off from the deck. The exercise will also include some live ammunition firing shown to PM as part of familiarization process.

The fleet of Western Naval Command warships led by INS Viraat will sail together and salute PM Modi on board INS Vikramaditya. Prime Minister will leave in a helicopter to Kollam at 1: 15 pm.