The vast expanse of the sea, imposing sight of warships all around, exciting demonstrations that presented real time action and cool breeze in the morning was an exhilarating experience to young and old alike present at the Families’ Day at Sea organised by the Eastern Naval Command on Sunday.
The programme was organised as a thanksgiving to all the agencies and government departments that made the International Fleet Review in February hosted by ENC a big success.
“I like both the atmospherics and the exercises,” said K. Chandra, a first year architecture student of Varaha College, who was on her first outing onto the sea.
Once on the sea on a dredging vessel, Sowjanya, a graduate apprentice engineer, finds a world of difference between it and INS Satpura on which she enjoyed the demonstrations on Sunday.
Eight ships, indigenous stealth frigate INS Satpura, fleet support ship INS Shakti, landing platform dock INS Jalashwa, landing ship tank (large) INS Airavat, missile corvettes Kanjhar and Nishank, inshore support vessels T-36 and T-39 and submarine INS Sindhukirti participated in the event.
For Karthik, an SSC student, it was his second visit having watched the IFR rehearsal. However, his keenness on witnessing some action on the sea made him come again.
The demonstrations included asymmetric threat, search and rescue by Chetak helicopters, submarine diving and surfacing, slithering by marine commandos from Seaking 42 C helicopter onto a vessel and firing by corvettes.
Aerobatic display
The aerobatic display by three advanced jet trainer Hawks from INS Dega had everyone craning their necks from the canopy arranged for shade. Small arm fire at 51 mm mortar target was carried out from INS Satpura.
However, it was the high speed run, about 40 knots, by inshore support vessels that arrested the attention of the people.
The climatic “Station keeping by distance” line in which the imposing fleet support ship INS Shakti coming abreast of INS Satpura and a rope connecting them and measuring distance was riveting.
MLC Pappala Chalapathi Rao, Anakapalle MP Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, MLAs V. Anitha and G. Eswari, Principal Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, C. Rajendiran and Police Commissioner Amit Garg were among those who witnessed the exercises.
A large number of employees of various government departments attended.
