Nation Observes Armed Forces Flag Day



Nation Observes Armed Forces Flag Day 
The Armed Forces Flag Day is being observed today throughout the country. On the occasion the Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar extended his heartiest greetings to all ranks of Armed Forces personnel and appealed to all the citizens of the country to demonstrate their solidarity with the Armed Forces by contributing generously to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF).
Shri Parrikar said by donating to the AFFDF and proudly displaying the flags, the nation expresses support for the gallant Armed Forces personnel of the country. He stated that the Day offers an opportunity to express gratitude to the Armed Forces personnel, who have set exemplary standards of dedication, patriotism and courage in protecting the integrity of the country and not only to resolutely defend the borders of our great nation, but also render valuable service during national calamities and combating internal insurgencies in various States.

On the occasion, in New Delhi the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) officials pinned Armed Forces Flag Day lapels on various dignitaries including the Minister of State for Defence, Rao Inderjit Singh, the Service Chiefs and the Defence Secretary. Donations were also collected from the public which will go into the AFFDF Corpus. This fund is managed by the KSB Secretariat under the aegis of the Defence Minister.

The mobilized fund will be utilized for giving grants to rehabilitation institutions like Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centres, Cheshire Homes, St. Dunstan’s After Care Organisation and War Memorial Hostels. Financial assistance is provided from the fund to Ex-Servicemen and their dependents to meet their identified needs including student scholarship, marriage grants to wards of Ex-Servicemen, etc.

The Armed Forces Flag Day is observed to remember the sacrifices made by our gallant servicemen in defending the borders, salute the martyrs, honour the brave and express solidarity and support towards welfare of war widows/disabled, ex-servicemen and their dependents. 

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Launch Of Yard 2096 

            The fifth ship of LCU MK IV project, was launched on 07 Dec 15 at an impressive ceremony at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata.

The chief guest, Vice Admiral AV Subhedar, AVSM, VSM, Chief of Material, Chairman & Managing Director GRSE and various other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

            Rear Admiral AK Verma (Retd), VSM, Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE Ltd, commenced the proceedings with a formal welcome, which was followed by an address by the Chief Guest.

Vice Admiral AV Subhedar asserted that the Indian Navy has been supporting the drive for indigenous construction of warships leading to advancement of our shipbuilding industry and acknowledged the role of GRSE as a reliable partner in pursuing the national goal of ‘Make in India’. He further stated that Indian Navy is eagerly looking forward towards induction of LCU-MKIV class of ships, which would be based at Port Blair. He extended warm felicitations to the entire team of the GRSE for their significant contribution towards meeting the Navy’s growing requirement of state of the art warships.

            In accordance with the traditions, invocations from Atharva Veda were recited and Smt Rohini Subhedar, wife of Vice Admiral AV Subhedar, applied ‘Kumkum’ on the ship’s stem. She, thereafter, named the ship as ‘LCU-L55’, wished the ship good luck and launched the vessel.

LCU L-55 is the fifth vessel in the series of eight Landing Craft Utility Ships being designed and built by M/s GRSE for the Indian Navy. The ship can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations, humanitarian and disaster relief operations and evacuation from distant islands. The first ship of the class ‘LCU-L51’ was launched on      12 Mar 14 and is presently undergoing trials at GRSE. The vessel is likely to be delivered shortly to Indian Navy.

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Indo-Russia Bilateral Naval Exercise (INDRA NAVY- 15) Commences at Visakhapatanam 
INDRA NAVY is a bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian and Russian navies and epitomises the strategic relationship between the two countries. Initiated in 2003, the exercise has matured over the years with increasing scope, complexity of operations and level of participation.

The 8th edition of INDRA NAVY will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 07-12 December 15. The primary aim of this exercise is to increase interoperability between the two navies and develop common understanding of procedures for maritime security operations. The scope of INDRA NAVY- 15 includes wide- ranging professional interactions during the Harbour phase and a diverse canvas of operational activities at sea across a spectrum of maritime operations.

During INDRA NAVY-15, the Indian Navy will be represented by INS Sahyadri an indigenous frigate, INS Ranvijay, a guided missile destroyer and INS Shakti a Fleet Support Ship. In addition, a submarine, INS Sindhuvir, the P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Dornier Short Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer and other integral rotary wing helicopters are scheduled to participate in the bilateral exercise.

The Russian Federation Navy (RFN) will be represented by VADM RYABUKHIN ANDREY Deputy Commander of the Pacific Fleet and ships from the Pacific Fleet, based at Vladivostok. RFN ships Varyag (cruiser), Bystry (destroyer), Alatau (rescue ocean going tug) and Boris Butoma (fleet tanker) are expected to arrive at Visakhapatnam on 06 December 15 to participate in INDRA NAVY-15.

The exercise will be progressed in two phases viz; the Harbour Phase (07-09 December 15) at Visakhapatnam and the Sea Phase (10-12 December 15) off Visakhapatnam. The Harbour Phase would encompass table-top exercises and planning conferences ashore, prior progressing to sea . The Sea Phase would include various facets of fleet operations.

INDRA NAVY-15 will help to further strengthen mutual confidence and interoperability, and also enable sharing of best practices between both navies. The exercise will be another milestone in strengthening maritime security cooperation between the two navies and will also serve to reinforce the long standing bond of friendship between the two countries. 

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Army Flood Relief in Chennai - Update on 07 Dec 
The Army has over 61 Teams in Tamil Nadu undertaking Rescue and Relief Operations in co-ordination with the Civil Administration. The teams from Chennai as well as those from Hyderabad, Bangalore & Delhi have rescued more than 19,500 stranded people. Four Army Medical Teams are also providing Medical Aid in various parts of Chennai. So far, the Army has distributed more than 1,00,000 Relief Packets provided by the State Govt and some NGOs besides those from within own resources.

Ten Rescue and Relief teams out of the above effort along with two medical teams of the Army have also been located at Cuddalore and Bhuvanagiri for immediate action as required by the State Administration. The focus has now shifted to relief operations and rendering of medical aid in coordination with the agencies involved including Civil Administration and NGOs. 


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