Warship 'INS Tarasa' commissioned

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM, AUG. 24. The Indian Navy is fast transforming itself from ``a buyer'' to ``a builder'' with its ongoing indigenous warship construction programme fully backed by the Government.

That was how Vice-Admiral John C. DeSilva, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, described the ``moment of pride'' at the Naval Jetty here on Friday when `INS Tarasa', the frontline fast attack craft and offshore patrol vessel, was commissioned by Mr. Nagendranath Jha, Lieutenant- Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

At an impressive ceremony, which included the hoisting of colours aboard the vessel and breaking of the commissioning pennant, Lt. Cdr. Yagendra Kumar, Commanding Officer, read out the commissioning warrant, after which Mr. Jha unveiled the ship's plaque to dedicate her formally to the Navy. Accepting the warship on behalf of the Navy, the ENC chief said that this third indigenously built vessel from Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, would augment ``our surveillance capability'' for defence of the vast stretch of Andaman archipelago, where she would operate. ``With the promulgation of the UN laws of the sea, our maritime resources and area of responsibility have increased manifold. Not only are we responsible for the 2.01 million sq. km. of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but also for another 1.5 million sq. km. of mining rights on account of our country's pioneer status in offshore mining. The sea lanes of yesterday are today's economic expressways.

``The world is looking towards India for the safety and security of merchant ships and men in the Indian Ocean,'' he averred. In his address prior to dedicating INS Tarasa, the Lt.-Governor praised the GRSE for commissioning during the last one year two major warships - `INS Brahma-putra' and `INS Aditya' - and two fast attack craft - `INS Trinkat' and `INS Tillanchang.'

Stating that the Andaman group of islands lay at the crossroads of India's trade, with the strategic Malacca Straits just a stone's throwaway, Mr. Jha said: ``This places on the shoulders of the Indian Navy a vital responsibility for patrolling our territories against poachers, intruders and illegal settlers so as to provide a secure environment.''

Rear-Admiral R. Paralikar (retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of the GRSE, highlighted the state-of-the-art technological features of INS Tarasa like its navigation and satellite communication systems, and said that the machinery control system (MCS-5) aboard the vessel ``is one of the most advanced systems in the world today''.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Next     : Mohan Babu's appeal dismissed