PM Modi to attend Navy Day event in Sindhudurg on Dec 4
PM Modi will also witness an operational demonstration by warships, submarines, aircraft and special forces from Sindhudurg’s Tarkarli beach
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on December 4 attend the Navy Day celebrations at Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and also unveil a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement on Saturday.
This year’s Navy Day celebrations are being held at the Sindhudurg Fort, built by the Maratha ruler in the 17th century.
Last year, the PM unveiled the Indian Navy’s new ensign, with the flag drawing inspiration from the seal of Shivaji.
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PM Modi will also witness an operational demonstration by warships, submarines, aircraft and special forces from Sindhudurg’s Tarkarli beach, the statement said.
The event, which seeks to showcase the operational prowess of the navy, will involve 20 frontline warships as well as 40 aircraft, including MiG-29K and the naval variant of the light combat aircraft, navy officials said. Combat beach reconnaissance and a simulated assault by the elite marine commandos will also be showcased, the officials said.
The programme will culminate with the illumination of warships at anchorage, followed by a laser show at the iconic Sindhudurg Fort.
India celebrates December 4 as Navy Day to commemorate Operation Trident — the navy’s attack on Karachi harbour during the 1971 war with Pakistan.
This is the first time the navy is organising such a mega event, which is not taking place at any major naval station, the officials added.
The operational display organised on Navy Day provides an opportunity for the people to witness various facets of multi-domain operations undertaken by the navy, the PMO statement said, adding it also highlights the service’s contributions towards national security.
The Navy Day celebrations are being held at the Sindhudurg Fort, in line with the three services now organising their flagship ceremonial events outside the national capital.
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Navy Day celebrations were held in Visakhapatnam last year, the first time outside New Delhi. The army and the Indian Air Force organised their annual parades in Bengaluru and Chandigarh last year.
This year’s Air Force Day parade was held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh on October 8.
Key conferences of the armed forces, including the Combined Commanders’ Conference, have also been held outside New Delhi after the NDA government came to power nine years ago.
On April 1, Modi assessed the operational readiness of the armed forces in the backdrop of the lingering border row with China, carried out a security review, and asked the military to stay prepared for new and emerging threats at the Combined Commanders’ Conference held in Bhopal.
Before that, on March 6, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh addressed the inaugural session of a top navy meeting on board India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier - INS Vikrant, with the move bringing into sharper focus the country’s steps towards achieving self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.7