The annual Navy Fest, where Kochiites get a peek into life in the Navy, was inaugurated by Vice-Admiral Satish Soni, chief of the Southern Naval Command, at the Naval Base here on Friday.
The three-day fair will be under way till Sunday. The public can visit five warships at the command’s south jetty between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day. Visitors can also see naval aircraft kept on static display at the naval air station Garuda.
Although scaled down, the Navy Fest features 21 stalls, including 10 Navy stalls set up by naval training institutions like the School for Naval Airmen, INS Dronacharya, Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Anti-Submarine Warfare School, Navigation and Direction School, Seamanship School, Signals School besides the Naval Aircraft Yard (Kochi), Naval Ship Repair Yard (Kochi) and the Naval Armament Depot.
The fair showcases exhibits like the remotely operated crawler sensor being developed by the ship repair yard for inspecting underwater hull of ships; replicas of assorted aircraft including the naval LCA at the aircraft yard’s stall; models of various missiles; anti-submarine rockets; and small arms. A military photo exhibition, held in collaboration with the Ernakulam Press Club, is also a huge draw.
