President Murmu undertakes submarine sortie at Karwar naval base

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a sortie onboard Indian Navy's frontline submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western seaboard.

Murmu became the second President to undertake a submarine sortie. In February, 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam became the first president to experience a submarine sortie.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi accompanied President Murmu during the sortie in the Kalvari class submarine from the Karwar naval base in Karnataka, officials said.

The President is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.

"President Droupadi Murmu embarked the Indian Navy's indigenous Kalvari class submarine INS Vaghsheer at Karwar Naval Base," the President's secretariat posted on social media.

The President, donning a naval uniform, waved at naval personnel before entering the submarine.

INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project, was commissioned into the Navy in January.

It is one of the most silent and versatile diesel-electric submarines in the world, according to Navy officials.

It is designed to undertake a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance, and special operations.

Armed with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and advanced sonar systems, the submarine also features modular construction, allowing for future upgrades such as the integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology.

The Indian Navy is developing Karwar base considering India's long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region.