VISAKHAPATNAM: A war zone like atmosphere was recreated on the shores of Bay of Bengal even as multi-dimensional warfare capabilities of the Indian Navy in protecting the vast maritime borders and offshore assets of the country were showcased as part of the operational display during the Navy Day celebrations held by Eastern Naval Command (ENC) on RK Beach here on Wednesday.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was the chief guest, was greeted by a burst of water plume charges by the elite marine commandos on his arrival.The demonstration got off with enthralling display by Suryakiran fighter jets and spectacular descent by Skydivers after a combat free fall over the venue. The naval power demonstration continued with the display of helicopters landing and taking off from the moving column of INS Shivalik, INS Rajput, INS Jalashwa, INS Ranvir and INS Kiltan in a taut formation.
Navy’s Search and Rescue capabilities, which played a vital role in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, both at the national and international levels, were projected by the UH3H helicopter. In a spellbinding display of covert operations, the insertion of a team of marine commandos in a precise slithering operation from mighty Seaking helicopter was also demonstrated.
This was closely followed by beach assault and amphibious landing on the beachfront by naval vessels ships such as landing craft mechanised (LCM) and landing craft assault (LCA). They demonstrated the actions involved in beach assault along with BMPs from Indian Army mauling down the enemy defences and troops launching ‘Dhaava’ on the enemy bunkers.
The marine commandos, thereafter, displayed a wide range of combat capabilities, including extraction by Seaking helicopter and clandestine sabotage operations by detonating explosive charges on a simulated oil rig. The demonstration culminated with a scintillating flypast by all aircraft closely followed by a spectacular bomb burst manoeuvre by Hawk advanced jet trainers.
Subsequently, ‘Beating The Retreat’ ceremony was performed by the ENC Band. The programme concluded with a glittering display of silhouette illumination and small arms firing on illumination bombs by the ships of the Eastern Fleet. Tge Navy Day folded with a captivating fireworks display.The operational demonstration highlighted naval ships, aircraft and special forces’ versatility. It also gave an opportunity for the public to have a closer glimpse at the Indian Navy’s multifarious activities and the challenges that naval personnel experience at sea.