The annual awards function of the Eastern Fleet, Fleet Evening 2013, or ‘FLING’, as the event is known, was held at the Naval Dockyard on Sunday.
Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, participated as chief guest on the occasion.
The FLING, hosted by Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar P, Flag Officer Eastern Fleet, is the culmination of a year of determined and relentless pursuit of excellence by ships of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy. The award of trophies to the ships that excelled in various disciplines was followed by an enthralling entertainment programme by renowned artistes. The ‘Best Ship’ trophy was awarded to INS Ranjeet and INS Kulish, while INS Karmukh was adjudged the ‘Most Spirited Ship’ and INS Airavat bagged the trophy for the ‘Best Amphibious Ship’. The ‘Sword Arm’ of the Eastern Naval Command or the ‘Sunshine Fleet’, as it is also called, has been at the forefront of all operations on the Eastern seaboard over the past one year and has witnessed intense activity spanning the entire spectrum of Maritime Operations. To strengthen bilateral relations, the Eastern Fleet also undertook a major Over Seas Deployment (OSD) to Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Russia and the Maldives. The ships of the Eastern Fleet also undertook EEZ surveillance and anti-piracy patrols off the Gulf of Aden, Seychelles and Mauritius to maintain order on high seas and ensure freedom of global trade.
FLING 2013 was an occasion to acknowledge these spectacular achievements of the ‘Sunshine Fleet’ and to reaffirm the resolve that the ‘Sword Arm’ remains ever vigilant and committed to meet any challenge.
