Annual Refit Conference (ARC 24) and Annual Infrastructure Conference (AIC 24)
The Indian Navy hosted its Annual Refit Conference 24 (ARC 24) and Annual Infrastructure Conference 24 (AIC 24) on 08 – 09 Feb 24 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, under the chairmanship of Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, Chief of Materiel. The conferences focused on several critical aspects including the refit plans of Indian Naval ships and submarines, infrastructure augmentation to meet the maintenance requirements of newly inducted vessels, materiel cooperation with friendly foreign countries, and the integration of digital solutions to enhance maintenance processes.
Discussions revolved around foreseeing challenges in the maintenance of the Indian Navy’s platforms and exploring strategic-level changes to streamline refit and repair processes. Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh commended all Naval Dockyards and Repair Yards for their efforts in ensuring heightened operational availability of naval assets. He emphasized the importance of logistics and maintenance organisations embracing new technologies and efficient work processes, as well as the imperative of modernizing marine assets and yard infrastructure.
During the AIC, the Chief of Materiel reviewed the progress of various technical and marine infrastructure projects, stressing the need to develop ‘Future Ready’ repair and support infrastructure while modernising existing facilities. He expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects and applauded the completion of various initiatives in the previous year, including the Wet Basin and Refit Jetty at Port Blair.
Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command, lauded the collaborative efforts in ensuring enhanced operational availability of platforms. He underscored the importance of maintaining focus on supporting heightened operational readiness, upskilling the workforce to adapt to new inductions, and prioritizing information security.
The conferences saw participation from delegates representing Naval Headquarters, the three Naval Commands, the Tri-Services Andaman and Nicobar Command, Director General Naval Projects, Naval Dockyards, Repair Yards, and Material Organisations of the Indian Navy.