President Murmu Takes Sortie in INS Vaghsheer
President’s rare submarine sortie sends strong message on Navy’s combat readiness
- President undertakes dived sortie onboard indigenous submarine INS Vaghsheer
- Interacts with crew during two-hour operational sail
- Becomes second President after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to take submarine sortie
- Calls Indian Navy fully combat-ready under all circumstances
GG News Bureau
Karwar, 28th Dec: President of India Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a dived operational sortie onboard the indigenous Kalvari-class submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western Seaboard, sending a strong message on India’s growing undersea combat capabilities.
The President embarked the submarine from Karwar Naval Harbour in Karnataka and was accompanied by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi. During the over two-hour-long sortie, she interacted with the submarine’s crew and witnessed live operational demonstrations.
President Murmu is only the second President of India to take a submarine sortie, after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, marking a rare and symbolic engagement of the Supreme Commander with frontline naval assets.
The sortie assumes added importance as INS Vaghsheer is part of India’s indigenous Kalvari-class submarine fleet, highlighting the country’s push towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Earlier, in November 2024, the President had also witnessed an operational demonstration by the Indian Navy onboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
In a message recorded in the visitor’s book, President Murmu described the experience as special and deeply reassuring. “It was indeed a very special experience for me to sail, dive and spend time with our sailors and officers onboard INS Vaghsheer. The multiple successful firings and challenging operations carried out by INS Vaghsheer demonstrate the crew’s exceptional preparedness and dedication, in accordance with its motto ‘Veerta Varchasva Vijaya’,” she wrote.
Praising the professionalism of the crew, she added that witnessing their discipline, confidence and enthusiasm assured her that India’s submarines and the Indian Navy are fully combat-ready against any threat and under all circumstances.
