Prez undertakes sortie on INS Vaghsheer

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a sortie onboard a frontline submarine from the Karwar harbour in Karnataka, witnessing firsthand the prowess and demanding nature of the silent arm of the country's naval power, officials aware of the matter said.

- Rahul Singh [e-mail]

The Supreme Commander's two-hour dived sortie onboard INS Vaghsheer reaffirmed the image of the submarine force as a cornerstone of India's credible deterrence and maritime security, they added. Murmu is the second President to undertake a sortie in a submarine after APJ Abdul Kalam; and the first to be onboard a Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarine.

"This maiden embarkation onboard an indigenous Kalvari-class submarine reflects the continued engagement of the Supreme Commander with the armed forces in operational settings," the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan accompanied the President.

In November 2024, the President witnessed an operational demonstration by the navy onboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.