VISAKHAPATNAM : It has been fifty years since the Indo-Pak War and commemorating the golden jubilee of the end of this war, the Multi Component Expedition from Vizag to New Delhi was flagged off by Eastern Naval Command Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, here Friday. The expedition organised by ENC is being undertaken in three phases comprising of ocean sailing, motorcycle expedition and cycling expedition.
The first phase is Ocean Sailing on J-24 sailboat to Kakinada and back, which will be followed by the second phase which is Motorcycle expedition to Agra. The final phase is a Cycling expedition from Agra to New Delhi, where the team will join the Commemorative Carnival celebration at India Gate on September 20.
The J-24 sailboat expedition, skippered by Cmde Arvind Sharma, would cover a distance of 100 nautical miles and would also chart the wreckage of PNS Ghazi, the Pakistani submarine which also participated in the 1965 War and was later sunk by the Indian Navy off Vizag. The motorcycle expedition led by Lt Cdr Ravindra Kumar, would cover a distance of 2,100 km over a period of nine days across six states and union territories. The motorcycle expedition will reach out to local public including schools and other educational institutions besides sister service organisations en route. They would meet ex-servicemen from the tri-services who have participated or been in service during the 1965 War to gain first-hand experience and interact with the veterans.
The cycling expedition led by Cdr Animesh Nagar would cover a distance of 220 km and is aimed at spreading awareness of the commitment of the armed forces in use of greener and renewable source of energy.