Indian Navy to host President's Fleet Review, MILAN in Vizag in 2022

Visakhapatnam: Vice-Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, the flag officer commanding-in-chief (FOC-in-C) of Eastern Naval Command (ENC), said ENC will host two major events - the Presidential Fleet Review and MILAN 2022 - in early 2022 in Vizag. He also said that the state government has assured its full support to ENC for the events.

On the 75th Independence Day, a ceremonial parade was held at ENC comprising platoons of naval personnel drawn from various ships, submarines, establishments, and Defence Security Corps at the Command Parade Ground on Sunday.

Vice-Admiral Singh took the salute and inspected a 50-men armed guard. The parade was attended by officers and sailors of ships and establishments based in Vizag. Naval veterans witnessed the parade as special invitees. The parade concluded with the singing of the national anthem. On the occasion, naval veterans above 75 years were also felicitated.

Speaking on the occasion, the commander-in-chief conveyed greetings to all personnel on parade and their families and paid rich tributes to the sacrifices of the men and women who laid down their lives to secure India's Independence. He thanked all the veterans and acknowledged their contribution and dedication.

He added that despite unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19, ENC personnel had ensured combat readiness for operations at sea, underwater, or in the air, including maintenance of the operational assets and support functions ashore. He highlighted the command's contribution towards the nation's fight against COVID by providing assistance in terms of setting up COVID care centres, medical aid to veterans, training and operationalization of oxygen plants, provision of mobile oxygen plants, and ferrying of oxygen and other COVID relief equipment from overseas in large quantities.

In another event at the 'Victory at Sea' War Memorial on the Beach Road in Vizag city, Vice Admiral Kalidoss Srinivas, the project director of Ship Building Centre, Visakhapatnam, placed a floral wreath on Sunday morning and paid tributes to the brave warriors who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation.