Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, AVSM, NM (Retd), delivered a Professional Education Lecture (PEL) on The PLA Navy Submarine Service at the NMF on 16 Feb 24.  The session was chaired by Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, IN (Retd), Chairman NMF and Former Chief of the Naval Staff. It was attended by distinguished submarine service officers such as Rear Admiral K Raja Menon (Retd) (Honorary Fellow, NMF); Cmde Anil Jai Singh (Honorary Adjunct Fellow, NMF); serving and veteran senior naval officers, eminent defence experts, and academics.

The session opened with remarks by Admiral Karambir Singh on the need for bolstering the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities to counter the threat of the PLA Navy’s growing submarine force.

The lecture by Rear Admiral Khanna encompassed the genesis and development of the PLA Navy’s submarine force; its early focus on indigenous submarine-building; challenges posed by China’s maritime geography with shallow waters; the strategic significance of island-building and establishing control in the South China Sea for submarine operations; as also its quest for overseas bases and investments in pursuit of blue-water presence.

Rear Admiral Monty Khanna was presented with a token of appreciation by the Chairman, Admiral Karambir Singh, for sharing his expert insights on the topic.