New Delhi: The Navy and Coast Guard leg of the 2019 edition of the Defence Correspondents Course (DCC) concluded at Mumbai on 31 Aug 19. The course was conducted at Western Naval Command, Mumbai and coordinated by the Maritime Warfare Centre (Mumbai). The course aimed to enlighten journalists on nuances of naval operations and their significance and in the long run build a pool of journalists who understand the Armed Forces.
During the Navy and Coast Guard phase of a week, which started on 26 Aug, over the first three days, the DCC participants were apprised on organisation, roles and responsibility of the Navy, Coast Guard and the Naval Value System. They visited the Naval Dockyard Mumbai and were also taken for the Heritage Walk around the dockyard. The course also visited frontline submarines and warships of Indian Navy as well as the Coast Guard. A visit to the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) and a brief on the coastal security construct brought the participants up to speed on the nuances and workings of the coastal defence mechanism.
The highlight of the course, in their own words, was the one-day sea sortie on a frontline frigate of the Navy, INS Brahmaputra. A few participants even had the opportunity to participate in naval activities being conducted at sea.
The naval leg culminated with a valedictory reception hosted by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) for the participants and the organisers where the understanding and bonhomie between the teachers and the students made it clear that the naval leg was successful in its primary task. The DCC now moves to Chandigarh for the phase with the Indian Air Force.
