VISAKHAPATNAM: Skies of Visakhapatnam on Saturday reverberated with roaring sounds of fighter aircraft and helicopters making sorties as a part of flypast during the rehearsal of the Presidential Fleet Review (PFR 2022) scheduled to be held on Monday. The Navy’s might was on full display and Vizagites who gathered at the beach were awed at the sight of the fighter planes and several naval ships, including warships and submarines were sailing off Vizag coast.
Four frontline ships — INS Chennai of Western Naval Command, INS Delhi of Andaman and Nicobar Command, INS Sahyadri of Eastern Naval Command, INS Satpura of Southern Naval Command -— will take part. Ships of the Indian Navy from eastern and western fleet are lining up at anchorage off Vizag. INS Visakhapatnam will be the lead ship of the fleet review. It will be the first ship to be reviewed by the President. President Ramnath Kovind is arriving here on Sunday evening.
On Monday morning, after a ceremonial guard of honour and a 21 gun salute, the president will embark on the Presidential Yacht INS Sumitra and it will sail through 44 ships lined up at anchorage off Visakhapatnam. The review will have a combination of ships from the Indian Navy as well the Coast Guard. Ships from SCI and the Ministry of Earth Sciences will also be participating.
In this most formal of naval ceremonials, each ship dressed in full regalia will salute the President as he passes. A host of VIPs will visit the city for the PFR. Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will arrive on Sunday, before the arrival of the president. They will receive the President at INS Dega Air Station.
Visiting dignitaries
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism Kishan Reddy, high court judges, secretaries of various union ministries and ministers from the state will take part.