NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday undertook a sortie onboard Indian Navy's indigenously-built frontline submarine INS Vaghsheer on the Western seaboard.
Murmu is the second President to undertake a submarine sortie. In February 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam experienced a submarine sortie onboard INS Sindhu Rakshak.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi accompanied President Murmu, who is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, during the sortie in the Kalvari class submarine from the Karwar naval base in Karnataka, officials said.
The President, donning a naval uniform, waved at naval personnel before entering the submarine. She also interacted with the crew of INS Vaghsheer and lauded their dedication, while describing the indigenous submarine as a shining example of the Indian Navy's professional excellence and combat preparedness.
"President Droupadi Murmu undertook a dived sortie on the Western Seaboard onboard INS Vaghsheer," the President's Secretariat said.
It said the President was briefed on the role of the submarine arm in India's maritime strategy, and the operational capabilities as well as contributions in safeguarding national maritime interests.
Murmu, while interacting with the crew of INS Vaghsheer, commended their dedication, commitment and spirit of selfless service, it added.
"She said that this indigenous submarine is a shining example of the Indian Navy's professional excellence, combat preparedness and unwavering commitment to national security," the secretariat said on social media.
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 the Karwar base considering India's long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region.
In October, Murmu took a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Indian Air Force Station in Ambala, becoming the first President of India to fly in two different fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Previously, she undertook a sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI in April 2023 from Tezpur in Assam.