By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Dec 20:
Indian Navy’s second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class- “Mormugao”, planned to be commissioned in mid 2022, proceeded on her maiden sea sortie from on Saturday, on the occasion of the 60 th anniversary of liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule.
The Indian Navy played a pivotal role in the liberation and dedicating the ship’s name to the maritime state of Goa will not just enhance the bonding between the Indian Navy and the people of Goa, but also link the ship’s identity permanently to the crucial role the Navy played in nation-building.
“Mormugao”, has been built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL), Mumbai as part of the Project 15B destroyers. The ship incorporates several niche indigenous technologies and is a shining example of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). She has provided thrust and impetus to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
“Mormugao” is expected to add significantly to the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities. With the recent commissioning in November 2021 of INS Visakhapatnam and the fourth P75 submarine INS Vela, commencement of sea trials of Mormugao is testimony to the cutting-edge capabilities of MDSL and the strong indigenous shipbuilding tradition of a modern and vibrant India.
Wreath laying at INS Gomantak
On the Diamond Jubilee of the liberation of Goa, Rear Admiral Philipose G Pynumootil, Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area, laid a wreath at the war memorial at INS Gomantak. A ceremonial Guard of Honour was presented and a two-minute silence observed as a mark of respect for the supreme sacrifice made by brave sailors of the Navy during the operation that led to the liberation of Goa.
The war memorial at INS Gomantak was constructed in memory of the seven young and gallant sailors who laid down their lives on December 18,1961 during Op Vijay undertaken by the Indian Navy for liberation of Anjadip Island and the territories of Goa, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule. The ceremony was attended by Commanding Officers and senior officers of naval units at Goa.
Sail India 2021-12-19
In the meanwhile in the recent “Sail India 2021” regatta held at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai, the girls topped the list of winners.
In the 5 day long championship 9 classes of ships participated. It was for the first time, that country saw the NACRA 17 and the IQ FOIL making their debut in Indian waters. The regatta saw a total of 101 participants including 26 women sailors.
9 classes of boats participated in 156 races. The boats moved at speeds of 2kts in light wind s reaching speeds of 17 kts in the strong winds. The winners of all 9 classes were: Type of boat- “Laser” (Standard)_- Sub Vishnu Saravanan, “Laser” (Radial)_- Ritika Dangi,
“RS: X” (Women)_-Ishwariya Ganesh, “RS:X” (Men)- V P Pathak, “49er FX”- Harshita Tomar and Sweta Shervegar, “49er” -Prince Noble and Manu Francis, “470 MIX” (H)- Uma Chouhan, (C )- Ravindra Kumar Sharmam “IQ Foil”- Jerome K S, “NACRA 17” (H) Ekta Yadav and (C)- Karthik B.
