New Delhi: Showcasing its strength and preparedness in the sea, the Indian Navy is organising 'President Fleet Review' in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The event will also commemorate India’s 75th year of Independence which will be followed by the biennial multilateral exercise MILAN.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, will review the capabilities of Navy and Coast Guard warships and fighter aircraft in Visakhapatnam during the programme. A total of 63 warships including INS Visakhapatnam are participating in this review.
Apart from this, 50 fighter aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters of the Navy and Coast Guard are participating. During this, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar will also be present in the 'Presidential Yacht' at 9 am.
A Fleet Review is usually conducted once during the tenure of the President. Post – Independence, till date, 11 Presidential Fleet Reviews (PFRs) have been conducted by the Indian Navy, of which two have been International Fleet Reviews (IFRs) — in 2001 and 2016, the Navy said.
More than 45 countries have been extended invitation to take part in MILAN 2022, and the response has been very “positive and encouraging” and “delegations and warships from a large number of friendly foreign countries are expected to participate” in it, according to PTI report.
The Harbour Phase of the exercise will be held from February 25-28, which would allow participating navies to discuss maritime subjects of common concern and share solutions.
In this phase, all professional competitions and conferences shall build the operational tempo for the Sea Phase planned from March 1-4. This phase would be utilised to consolidate upon the lessons learnt during harbour interactions and to build upon the experience of operating together at sea, the MILAN’s official website states.
MILAN hosted by India made a modest beginning in the Andaman and the Nicobar Islands in 1995 with the participation of four littoral navies, it said.
When and Where To Watch President Fleet Review?
Doordarshan has come up with several innovations to undertake one of the most challenging coverages of the Presidential Review of the Indian Navy’s fleet on Monday.
It will be live telecasted for three hours on television channels including DD National, DD News, DD India and several regional channels of Doordarshan starting at 8.30 am and continue till the end of the programmes.
In its extensive coverage, Doordarshan’s will register many firsts to its credit as it includes a vast array of multi-camera set up on land and water with at least 30 cameras including Drones with special lenses being used to streamline the broadcast from land and sea while ensuring seamless connectivity.
The entire coverage will also be available through live-streaming on our YouTube platforms.
WATCH | NAVAL FLEET REVIEW LIVE HERE: