Instability in West Asia and the linked disruptions to maritime traffic are a reminder that distance from a conflict does not ensure immunity from its consequences, said Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi on Wednesday.He was addressing the top brass of the Navy at the Commanders’ Conference and added “concurrent conflicts and increased capabilities create a highly contested space for the Navy on a day-to-day basis”.The conference conducted in New Delhi reviewed the impact of the conflict in West Asia on maritime readiness and the role the Navy played in ensuring energy security. Navy played a major role in the safe transit of merchant ships moving out of the Persian Gulf.Highlighting the impact of the ongoing conflict, both economic and military, Admiral Tripathi said it was also about shaping of perception of the conflict building narratives, and not just operational outcomes.The Navy Chief stressed various aspects have caused the maritime security environment to reach an inflection point. The three day conference (April 14-16) has the senior naval leadership and the Navy Chief commended the force for safeguarding India’s maritime interests including energy security, amidst ongoing conflict in West Asia.The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, addressed and interacted with the Naval Commanders on matters pertaining to changing geo-political orders, and urged the Navy to plan for rapidly evolving character of war, including economic and technological factors.The conference discussed operational highlights including salient issues pertaining to jointness, capability enhancement, maintenance, training, foreign cooperation indigenisation.The Navy Chief highlighted the achievements of the Navy in its journey towards becoming a combat-ready, credible, cohesive, and future-ready force.Admiral Tripathi highlighted there has been a significant increase in the operational deployment of naval platforms over the past five to ten years. He highlighted upgradation and augmentation of war-fighting capabilities in the surface, sub-surface, and air domains, supported by major infrastructural developments, robust maintenance practices.The Navy is the middle of various technology-intensive capability developments that have taken place, along with those in various phases of development and induction, including incorporation of artificial intelligence in the operational framework.