Toronto: India has formulated a gigantic plan to modernise its Navy and strengthen its presence at the high seas in the region, Navy chief Admiral Madhvendra Singh said.

"India has decided to upgrade its warships, frigates and other equipment, and strengthen its presence beyond the territorial waters in the region. It will also equip its warships with high-tech weapons," Admiral Singh told media persons after commissioning 27 Indian Naval officers at the INS Tarangini in Toronto.

The Navy chief however "neither confirmed nor denied" that India wou1d equip its warships with nuclear warheads.

"Our aim is to build our Navy on our own resources by indigenising equipment and weapons, and with limited support from abroad," said the Navy chief.

On a specific question on the lessons India had learnt from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said the world was now realising the significance of maritime power. "It is an era of joint warfare. It there is proper co-ordination between Navy, Air Force and the Armed Forces at the right time and place, excellent results can be achieved."

The sail training ship is in Toronto as part of its global goodwill visit, during which it will visit 36 ports in 17 countries and provide seamanship training to over 400 Indian and 18 foreign Navy cadets.

It will also expose young officers and sailors to the use of sails, to develop a spirit of adventure, and inculcate in each cadet the quality of teamwork and leadership, according to Shaukat Ali, commanding officer of the ship.

PTI