VISAKHAPATNAM: The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Indian Navy will conduct an additional operational demonstration (Op Demo) at RK Beach in Vizag city on January 4, 2025 instead of the annual Navy Day operational demonstration on December 4. It may recalled that in 2022, the President of India Droupadi Murmu witnessed the operational demonstration of the Indian Navy at RK Beach in Vizag city on Dec 4.
At a media briefing ahead of Navy Day here in Vizag city on Monday, Vice-Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC said in line with the Union Government’s policy of organising Navy Day celebrations in different cities and historical locations this year’s Navy Day 2024 celebrations will be organised by the Indian Navy at Puri Beach of Odisha on Dec 4. The President of India Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest. The Op Demo will showcase the capability and versatility of Indian Naval ships, submarines, aircraft, and Special Forces.
This is not to say that the people of Vizag will be missing out on this annual activity. We will be conducting an additional Op Demo off RK Beach on Jan 4, 2025. Chief Minister Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, has kindly consented to be the Chief Guest on this occasion, said Vice-Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar. In addition, other events planned at Vizag for the Navy Week include the Band Concert, visit to naval ships by Children, interaction with veterans, he added.
Navy is committed to maintaining a free, open, safe and an inclusive maritime space, that functions in accordance with a rules-based international order, and would strive to remain a ‘Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Ready Force; Safeguarding National Maritime Interests – Anytime – Anywhere’, Vice-Admiral added.
With regard to capability enhancement and future inductions, Vice-Admiral said the Navy is progressing steadily to realize its capability enhancement plans. Specifically, with regard to the ENS, INS Sandhayak, the first ship in the Survey Vessel (Large) Project, was commissioned on Feb 3, this year at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. Nirdeshak, the second of the four ships in this Project, was delivered to the Indian Navy in October this year and is scheduled to be commissioned on Dec 18 .
Commissioning of the first ships of the Nilgiri Class Frigates, starting with Nilgiri, the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft Class, starting with Arnala, and Diving Support Vessel Class, starting with Nistar, are also scheduled in the coming months, he added.
We are also in the process of inducting large numbers of unmanned and autonomous platforms. As a first step, we have started operating Rotary UAVs from our ships. Autonomous surface vessels, such as ‘Matangi’, which made a sea 7 transit from Mumbai to Tuticorin in the end October, and autonomous subsurface platforms, are also in various stages of development, he added.
Significant infrastructure development has progressed in the past year, and projects amounting to more than Rs 1,200 crore, are presently in various stages of execution. The laying of the foundation stone for the VLF Station at Vikarabad, is an important milestone. The project, when completed, will bolster our long-distance naval communication capabilities. Factoring the growth in assets that would be progressively based at Visakhapatnam, projects to augment berthing space in Naval Dockyard are also underway, the Vice-Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar added.
