Kovind awards President's Colour to submarine arm of navy

President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the President's Colour to the Submarine Arm of the navy in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

The Presidents Colour is the highest honour which can be bestowed upon any military unit.

The President's Colour was received by Rear Adm Veenam Srinivas, Flag Officer Submarines, on behalf of the Submarine Arm at a splendid ceremony at Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam.

Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, navy chief Adm Sunil Lanba and other senior defence and civilian officials were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said that the valiant submarines of the navy carry out their professional responsibility with great skill and take a grave risk and that the nation is proud of the achievement and appreciates their contribution to national security.

The commissioning of the first Submarine, INS Kalvari, on December 8, 1967, laid the foundation of the Submarine Arm.

The Submarine Arm has been at the forefront of all offensive operations of the navy and played a particularly stellar role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

During the 1971 war, four submarines were actively deployed on both the eastern and western maritime theatres of operations in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

Their presence achieved the desired deterrent effect and restricted the enemy operation at sea to a considerable extent.

Personnel of the Submarine Arm were awarded one Maha Vir Chakra, two Vir Chakras, one Shaurya Chakra and a number of Mention–in–Dispatches for acts of bravery during the war.

The navy has rich experience of operating six classes of submarines which includes conventional and nuclear submarines.

The navy, by way of its maritime strategy, has adopted a strategy of deterrence to maintain peace.

Submarines singularly form the most important pillar of this strategy.