Navies must fight global terrorism: PM

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI, FEB. 18. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today emphasised cooperation among the navies of the world to curb drug trafficking and gun-running which he described as handmaidens of international terrorism.

Mr. Vajpayee was delivering a formal speech this morning after witnessing an impressive the International City Parade staged by sailors of 19 different navies, participants in the International Fleet Review that cheered lakhs of onlookers who had gathered soon after daybreak.

The Prime Minister said the Indian Navy had an important role in global maritime cooperation and also in preserving marine ecology, protecting ocean resources and commercial sealanes against piracy and other disruptions.

Mr. Vajpayee called for ``institutional arrangements for such cooperation. He said that the IFR was an important first step in bringing navies together to start the endeavour.''

He noted that 15 of the 25 foreign ships that have joined the IFR were from the Indian Ocean Rim countries, and this showed ``a widespread recognition of the enormous potential for regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean Rim. I hope that the association will rapidly move to realise the promise of mutually beneficial collaboration.''

In a rather emotional appeal, Mr. Vajpayee told the Rim countries: ``As globalisation embraced us and communication technologies connect us, oceans should unite us in our endeavor for peaceful economic development. Let us start this process with the Indian Ocean.''

Lakhs throng shores

Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country, seldom gets a chance to see a military parade. And this was the first time Mumbaites were to watch an International City Parade and its charming significance was not lost on them.

Contrary to the cynical thinking on the IFR-related public holidays here, lakhs of people thronged the shores of Marine Drive, a beautiful four-kilometre curving stretch of Mumbai's Back Bay known as the Queen's Necklace. Both the sides of the road, the entire Chowpaty beach and all rooftops were plastered with onlookers. The police had to turn back lakhs of people for want of space.

The first contingent was that of the naval wing of the National Cadet Corps, holding aloft flags of 29 countries which sent their warships and/or high-level naval delegation. Each of the three naval commands of the Indian Navy had fielded a platoon in the march and so had the Indian Coast Guard, Sea Cadet Corps and the National Defence Academy.

A troupe of naval band separated two marching platoons and provided martial music.

Daredevil display

The Indian Special Marine Forces, whom the Navy calls Marcos (marine commandos), demonstrated a daredevil airborne operation.

They slithered down from three Sea King 42-C commando- carrying helicopters and landed on an inflatable boat, moved swiftly to different dummy targets, placed their explosive charges and withdrew quickly. Their helicopters returned and recovered them in the nick of time and flew away. And behind them, the targets blew up.

To minimise the time in recovery by the copters, the Marcos tied themselves to a thin line and remained suspended under the withdrawing helicopters.

Various types of aircraft in the inventory of the Naval Air Arm, the Indian Air Force and Coast Guard had the onlookers' rivetted to the skies. These included carrier-borne short take-off and vertical landing Sea Harriers, deep- penetrating strike aircraft, Jaguars, which have special anti- shipping abilities, and aerobatics by Su-30. But it was the Suryakirans which stole the show with their manoeuvres.

...but some watched birds

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, FEB. 18. While lakhs of people were watching the breathtaking acrobatics by supersonic warplanes of the Indian Navy and Air Force at the first ever International City Parade, five gentlemen were focussed not on the aircraft but birds.

They were not ornithologists but IAF officers and their mission was to report bird activities. Armed with powerful binoculars and high-frequency radios and walkie-talkies, they were relaying a running commentary on kites, crows and pigeons.

``Charlie Oscar, this is Mike Delta. Birds five zero meters above the rooftops of the buildings near the flyover bridge,'' creaked Junior Warrant Officer, M.A. Khan. Charlie Oscar was the temporary ground control station that the IAF had set up on the terrace of a high-rise building.

The station, manned by four officers, was guiding the aircraft performing a dance in the skies. Charlie Oscar was also providing flying data to the aircraft, some of which had flown in from far- off bases. The ground control would relay reports on bird activities in the area of operations to the airborne pilots.

According to Mr. Khan, the Air Force had to take these precautions because the low-flying supersonic aircraft could not risk a bird-hit. ``Two kites hovering at 100-m altitude off Oberoi, Charlie Oscar,'' the Warrant Officer continued.

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