Maritime security needs collective support of neighbours: Rajnath

Vikarabad: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy made it clear that there would be no compromise regarding matters of security of the nation.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for a Very Low Frequency (VLF) station at Vikarabad, Rajnath Singh said that maritime security is a collective effort and inviting "outside forces" to the doorstep would dent efforts for unity. “Maintaining peace in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) should be the top priority. Cooperation of India's friendly nations is essential in this effort, as even if one country is left out, the nation's security will be at risk,” he said.

Describing the Indian Navy as "the biggest guarantee of peace in the entire IOR, including the Bay of Bengal," Rajnath Singh stressed the need to continuously empower the defence wing given the ever-growing global interest in the Indian Ocean Region. "Bharat believes in bringing all together and not breaking. That is why we are taking every possible step to take the friendly-neighbouring nations along," he said.

The VLF naval station will prove to be very important for maritime forces when it becomes functional. Several ships and other platforms of the Indian Navy are spread across the entire Indo-Pacific Region and the sphere of interest extends throughout the region, from the Malacca Strait in the east to the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and the eastern coast of Africa in the west, he further said.

“In the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy has also emerged as the first responder and net security provider,” Singh said. The upcoming VLF station would expand the military capabilities of the country, proving to be a boon to the Armed Forces, he said, asserting that the high-tech centre, once operational, would not just be a military establishment, but a strategic asset of national importance.

Allaying concerns about the impact of the project on the environment, Singh assured that all environmental conditions are being taken care of. The upcoming station at the Damagundam forest area in Vikarabad district is the Navy’s second VLF communication transmission station in the country. INS Kattabomman Radar Station at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the facility, built at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore, will be spread across 2,900 acres. It will bolster the Indian Navy’s operational readiness, ensuring effective command and control capabilities in challenging maritime environments.

It will play a pivotal role in strengthening the Naval communication infrastructure, enabling reliable and secure transmission over long distances. The CM said Hyderabad has always been an important city for defence and it has several defence research organisations located here.

Taking potshots at objections raised by BRS, he said there can be political differences between parties but when it comes to issues of security of the country no one should create unnecessary doubts or fear in the minds of the people. This project was approved by the previous government and the present government was executing it, the CM said.

Earlier in the day, while addressing media persons in Hyderabad, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said it was a proud moment for Telangana as the project (VLF station) is important in terms of national security.