New Delhi, Dec. 28 -- Currently, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, embarked on a dive operational sortie aboard the submarine INS Vaghsheer over the Western Seaboard, making it quite an eventful event in Indian Navy operational history. She boarded her indigenous Kalvari-class submarine in Karwar Naval Harbour in Karnataka and was accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
During this more than two-hour-long sortie, the President mingled with the officers and sailors of INS Vaghsheer and viewed several operation demos, including complex ones that were conducted while the submarine was underwater. This experience gave the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces first-hand experience of the combat readiness of the submarine and the professionalism of its crew.
President Murmu is the second President of India to go on a submarine sortie, after former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Her first-ever embarkation on an IP (indigenous project) submarine signifies the active involvement of the highest constitutional authorities with the Armed Forces in realistic operational environments.
The sortie is also indicative of the increasing focus on "indigenisation" in the Indian government's defence strategies. The INS Vaghsheer is a Kalvari-class submarine designed under Project 75, which is an important part of the Indian Navy's underwater forces.
In the visitors' book, the President has written that the "sailing, diving activities, and interaction with the INS Vaghsheer crew gave me a very special experience" to understand the commitment and professional caliber of the staff, and she praised the successful firing and "difficult tasks performed by the submarine, which revealed the extraordinarily high readiness level, meeting the submarine's motto - Veerta Varchasva Vijaya".
"Observing the discipline, confidence, and fervour of the crew of Vaghsheer, I am assured that our submarines, along with the Indian Navy, are ready to face any threat," wrote the Iranian President.
This is in the wake of another recent operational engagement by President Murmu, who in November 2024 was hosted to an operational demonstration by the Indian Navy aboard the indigenously developed aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, adding to her active engagement
with the various armed forces of the country.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.