Sun, 14 Jun 2026 · LIVE
Updated Jun 19, 2025 · 20:34
India News Updated Jun 19, 2025

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi attends 12th Key Leader Engagement virtually

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi virtually attended the 12th Key Leader Engagement hosted by US Pacific Fleet Admiral Stephen Koehler. He emphasized maritime security in the Indo-Pacific through innovation and technology. The Admiral also discussed India's counter-drone capabilities and the importance of non-contact warfare. Earlier, he reviewed defence manufacturing at Solar Industries India, advocating for public-private collaboration.

New Delhi, June 19

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on Thursday attended the 12th Key Leader Engagement hosted virtually by US Navy's Pacific fleet Admiral Stephen T. Koehler, the Indian Navy said in an official statement.

Admiral Tripathi highlighted his vision on "achieving maritime security in the Indo-Pacific through innovation and technology" in the key Leader Engagement on Wednesday, which involved 19 nations.

"Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, CNS, attended the 12th Key Leader Engagement hosted virtually by Adm Stephen T Koehler, @USPacificFleet, on Jun 25, involving 19 nations. CNS highlighted his vision on 'Achieving Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific Through Innovation and Technology,' the Indian Navy said on X.

https://x.com/indiannavy/status/1935562951622029518

On June 13, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said that Operation Sindoor is on a pause, but it is an operation in progress.

Speaking to ANI, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said, "The Operation Sindoor is under pause; it is still underway. As a Naval Chief, I will reserve my comments on this. It's an operation in progress."

On counter-drone systems, he said that non-contact warfare will stay, and this area of weapons and equipment was not catered to 10-12 years ago.

"It is undeniable that non-contact warfare is going to stay. In it, drones and loitering munitions, and therefore defence against them in terms of counter-drone systems, there is a whole series of weapons and equipment that one had probably not catered for 10-12 years ago," he said on Thursday.

Earlier on June 13, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, accompanied by Chairman of Solar Industries India Limited, Satyanarayan Nuwal, reviewed the manufacturing processes of various defence products at the firm's headquarters in Nagpur.

Speaking to ANI, the Navy Chief lauded the products and progress made by Solar Industries India Ltd. He added that there needs to be synergy between the public and private sectors, as the latter is new in defence production.

"It's really eye-opening to see what progress has been made by Solar (Solar Group) in the last 14-15 years. As far as the synergy between the public and private sectors in the defence ecosystem is concerned, it is a must because some public sector companies have been working in this field for many decades, and private companies are relatively new. So there is a need for them to talk to each other and learn from each other," Admiral Tripathi told ANI.

Chairman of Solar Industries India Ltd, Satyanarayan Nuwal, said that they showed the Navy Chief their drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). They also showed the navy officials their Counter-Unmanned Aerial System, Bhargavastra.

Talking to ANI, Satyanarayan Nuwal said, "Today, we mainly showed our facility with drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). We showed the composite manufacturing unit of UAS. We also showed Bhargavastra (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System) to them... This counter-drone system is a significant thing... Considering present situations, we learnt that the biggest need is for long-range missiles. We have already presented a proposal in this regard..."

— ANI

Reader Comments

Rajesh K.

Great to see our Navy Chief representing India on global platforms! 🇮🇳 The Indo-Pacific is crucial for our security and trade. Innovation in maritime tech is the need of the hour, especially with China's growing presence. Jai Hind!

Priya M.

The focus on counter-drone systems is timely. We've seen how drones are changing warfare globally. Hope our private sector can deliver cutting-edge solutions quickly. Solar Industries seems promising - make in India should mean quality in India too!

Amit S.

While I appreciate the Navy's efforts, I wish there was more transparency about Operation Sindoor. Citizens deserve to know about operations that concern national security, at least in broad terms. Complete secrecy sometimes creates more rumors than trust.

Sunita R.

Public-private partnership in defence is the way forward! Our forces need the best equipment, and if Indian companies can provide it, nothing like it. Bhargavastra sounds impressive - hope it gets deployed soon to protect our borders. 🙏

Vikram J.

The Indo-Pacific strategy needs more teeth. Virtual meetings are good, but we need more joint exercises with friendly nations like US, Japan and Australia. Actions speak louder than vision statements when dealing with China's aggression in the region.

Neha P.

Glad to see women officers getting recognition in our Navy too! While the article doesn't mention it, I hope such engagements include diverse representation. Our armed forces are becoming more inclusive, and that's progress worth celebrating. 👏

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Reader Voices

Leave a comment

Be kind. Add to the conversation. 0/50
Thank you — your comment has been submitted.
JS blocked