New Delhi, December 2 (PTI): The Indian navy chief Adm.Sunil Lanba said here on Friday that the Pakistan navy’s claim that it had driven away an Indian submarine which had sneaked into its waters was “bogus”.
“There was no Indian submarine deployed in the area where the Pakistani Navy is claiming it to be. As far as repelling a submarine of any nation goes, it is not an easy task and the claim made by Pakistani Navy is totally bogus. We deploy submarines where there is an operational necessity and we will continue to deploy them,” Adm.Lamba said in his Navy Day press conference.
The Pakistani Navy had last month claimed that it had prevented an Indian submarine from entering its territorial waters.
The Chief of Naval Staff said India’s primary area of interest was the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) followed by Strait of Bab el Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to a question on Indian Navy’s capabilities in the Pacific region, Lamba said, “The Navy is well within its capabilities to operate in the region.
Lanba also sought to downplay the Bangladesh Navy acquiring its first submarines from China, saying “India has a plan in place that takes into account what is happening in the neighbourhood.”
When asked about the South China sea dispute, the Navy chief said maritime issues should be solved as per United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He added that the Kalavari Class Scorpene submarine will be commissioned next year.
“She has successfully finished dry trials and further trials are in progress,” Lanba said.
(The featured picture at the top is that of Adm.Sunil Lanba)
