President Droupadi Murmu undertakes sea sortie on submarine INS Vagsheer
New Delhi, December 28: President Droupadi Murmu undertook a sea voyage on the Indian Navy's frontline submarine INS Vagsheer on the Western Coast on Sunday. With this sortie, she became the second President of the country to travel on a submarine. Previously, in February 2006, the then President APJ Abdul Kalam had undertaken a sea voyage on the Indian Navy submarine INS Sindhurakshak.
Officials stated that Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi was present with the President as she boarded the Kalvari class submarine from the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. President Murmu, dressed in the naval uniform, waved to the naval personnel before entering the submarine. She interacted with the crew of INS Vagsheer and appreciated their spirit of dedication, describing the indigenous submarine as a shining example of the Indian Navy's professional excellence and combat readiness, as per agency report.
The President's Secretariat shared on social media platform X that President Droupadi Murmu boarded the Indian Navy's indigenous Kalvari class submarine INS Vagsheer at Karwar Naval Base. The statement noted that the President was briefed on the role of the submarine arm in India's maritime strategy, its operational capabilities, and its contribution to protecting national maritime interests. During the interaction with the crew, the President praised their dedication, commitment, and spirit of selfless service, terming the indigenous submarine a magnificent example of the Navy's unwavering commitment to national security.
INS Vagsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project, was inducted into the Navy in January this year. According to Navy officials, it is one of the quietest and most multi-purpose diesel-electric submarines in the world. It is designed to execute a variety of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and special operations. The submarine is equipped with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and advanced sonar systems. It is based on modular construction technology, which facilitates the integration of technologies such as Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) in the future.
The Indian Navy is developing the Karwar Naval Base keeping in mind India's long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean Region. In addition to this maritime feat, President Murmu flew in a Rafale fighter jet from the Indian Air Force Station in Ambala in October this year, becoming the first President of India to fly in two different fighter jets. Prior to that, she had flown in a Sukhoi 30 MKI from Tezpur, Assam, in April 2023.
