President goes underwater on submarine sortie

PRESIDENT Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook an over two-hour sortie onboard the indigenously built submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western seaboard, signalling India’s focus on boosting undersea warfare capabilities.

- MAYANK SINGH @New Delhi

Murmu became the second President to experience a submarine sortie. In February 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam undertook a similar sortie onboard INS Sindhu Rakshak.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi accompanied President Murmu during the over two-hour sortie in the Kalvari class “silent sentinel” from the Karwar naval base in Karnataka, officials said.

Her office said she undertook a “dived sortie onboard INS ‘Vaghsheer and interacted with the submarine crew and witnessed the operational demonstrations.” The President is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.