Kannur, May 28 (PTI) Asking the Indian Navy and coast guard to never let their guard down, Defence Minister A K Antony today underscored the importance of the Centre accords to coastal security in view of the asymmetric threat from the sea.
Nations which have ignored maritime security have done so only at their own peril, he said after laying the foundation stone for the Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA) at Azhikkal, the first one in India and said to be the largest in Asia.
Antony said the Indian Coast Guard was in the process of consolidating manpower and assets to face anti-national elements robustly.
ICG, which also has a key role in safeguarding marine wealth, was regularly conducting various activities covering the eight coastal states to create awareness about coastal security among the coastal population, he said.