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Eastern Fleet to be expanded

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM MARCH 24. The Chief of the Naval Staff, Madhvendra Singh, said here today that the Eastern Fleet would be expanded and INS Ranvijay had already joined the fleet.

He was highlighting the strategic and growing importance of the Bay of Bengal, at a function held here to present gallantry and meritorious service awards to Naval personnel.

Recalling the role played by the Eastern Naval Command during `Operation Parakram' from December 2001 to October 2002, he said that during this period, the largest-ever mobilisation of the personnel from the three wings of the Armed Forces since the 1971 War had taken place.

He complimented the Eastern Naval Command for the deployment of the Eastern Fleet ships to the western theatre during the operation.

He said the allocation for the Navy in the recent budget had been enhanced from 15 to 17.7 per cent of the total defence outlay.

With this enhancement, new projects, including the land ship tank, anti-submarine warfare corvettes and the `Project 75' submarine would be taken up.

The Navy Chief said that of the ongoing projects, the first ship of the `Project 17' would be launched next month and the construction of the Delhi class destroyer of `Project 15A' would start before this month-end.

The construction of the most powerful Air Defence Ship (ADS) would begin at the Cochin Shipyard, he said and added that five more warships — three of Talwar class destroyers being built in Russia, one Brahmaputra class frigate and another Kora class covervette — would be inducted into the Navy during the current year.

Admiral Singh exhorted the naval personnel to remain in a high state of alert and asked them to uphold and pursue vigorously the core values of the Navy, including its patriotic fervour.

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