The Rear Admiral mapped the significance of the security apparatus to a query posed by The Hindu on the current relevance of naval detachments as security outposts in a changed security scenario.

“The entire coastal security is the Navy’s mandate, and there have been sustained investments in terms of manpower and infrastructure for the detachments. The security framework can eventually be reworked in line with the changing times in the long term.”

Naval detachments were set up along the Palk Bay at Nagapattinam, Thopputhurai, Kodiakkarai, Mallipattinam, Jagatapattinam, Thondi and Rameswaram in the early 1990s as bulwarks of coastal security to counter arms trafficking, illegal logistical support, and infiltration during the conflict in Sri Lanka.