INDIAN NAVY DAY 2022: Navy Day has been celebrated on December 4 every year since the success of Indian Navy’s Operation Trident in the Indo-Pak War of 1971. Navy Day is celebrated to commemorate the success of Operation Trident in which the Indian Navy’s Killer Squadron launched a off the coast of Karachi and sank two Pakistani vessels. President Draupadi Murmu will attend the Navy Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday.
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On the occasion of Navy Day, here’s a look at some of the major warships of the Indian Navy.
The ships of Operation Trident
The task group, 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy, which attacked Karachi on 4 and 5 December 1971, consisted of three Vidyut-class missile boats (INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer), two anti-submarine Arnala-class corvette (INS Kiltan and INS Katchall) and INS Poshak, a fleet tanker.
Escorted by INS Kiltan, the three Vidyut-class ships approached Karachi, evading Pakistan’s aircraft and patrol craft. INS Nirghat engaged PNS Khaibar; INS Nipat targeted PNS Shah Jahan and the motor vessel Venus Challenger. This ship also attacked oil tankers in the harbor and caused extensive damage. INS Veer shot at PNS Muhafiz.
The Indian Navy inflicted massive damage on Pakistan Navy assets and personnel, without suffering a single casualty.
The 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron, comprising 10 Veer Class and three Prabal Class missile boats, was formally established in Mumbai in October 1991.
INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant is a landmark for defense self-reliance in India as it is the country’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier. The warship, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), is 262 meters long and 62 meters wide and has a displacement of over 40,000 tons. Aircraft carriers are crucial for force projection. The 20,000 crore Indian-made aircraft carrier was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 2 September.
INS Nilgiri
INS Nilgiri was another foundational ship built by the MDL. Its construction, testing and commissioning all serve as milestones as it was the first major homegrown warship in the country. The frigate, whose name is derived from the Nilgiri hills, was 113 meters long and had a full load of 2962 tons. It had a recorded top speed of 28 knots. The success of INS Nilgiri was monumental to the first steps towards self-sufficiency in manufacturing naval equipment.
INS Arihant
INS Arihant is the first nuclear submarine built in India. Launched on 26 July 2009 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Kargil War, it was part of the Indian Navy’s secret Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. The first deterrence patrol by INS Arihant completed India’s nuclear triad (the ability to fire nuclear weapons from sea, land and air). The commissioning of this nuclear submarine in August 2016 also meant that India became the sixth country to have nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
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