Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presides over India’s show of naval might off western coast

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presided over India’s show of naval might on Monday and Tuesday in which more than 10 Indian Navy warships took part off India’s western coast, said the Defence Ministry.

The warships included the aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, three submarines and various naval aircraft that conducted operational manoeuvres.

Sitharaman initially embarked INS Kolkata, the first of the indigenously built Kolkata Class destroyers and then spent the night at sea on-board INS Vikramaditya, according to the ministry. To assess the performance of the carrier in real conditions, the RM 'transited' through a simulated 'multi-threat' environment on-board along with her 'escorts' during Monday night.


“Reviewing the maritime prowess of the Indian Navy over the two days, Sitharaman presided over a multiple complex naval operations including air interceptions, missile, gun and rocket firings, ship-to-ship replenishment, night flying and anti-­submarine operations,” said the ministry in a statement.

The Western Fleet of the Indian Navy undertook these major naval manoeuvres off the western seaboard of India to showcase operational excellence and combat capabilities.

The minister while commenting on the navy’s battle readiness said, “Having witnessed first-hand the prowess of the Western Fleet, I am confident that the Indian Navy is fully capable of defending the nation against any form of threat”, she stated.

She also interacted with the sailors on-board the warships. Finally, minister disembarked the ship by a naval helicopter to INS Hansa, Goa, today.