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A naval review is a meticulously planned event
when warships from the home fleet of the nation,
and ships of the Coast Guard and invited merchant
vessels join to give a salute to their reigning
monarch or the Supreme Commander, as in the case
of India. Smaller navies hold a review with ships
berthed alongside.
In India’s case since Independence, nine
Fleet Reviews have been held in honour of the
country’s President, who is also the Supreme
Commander of India’s Armed Forces as enshrined
in the Constitution, even though executive powers
vest with the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.
The President’s Fleet Review (PFR) is held
only once during the five-year term of the President.
The fleet review tradition began as early as
the 15th century in Great Britain, and naval reviews
have since been held as a show of might of a nation’s
navy and to assure the Supreme Commander that
the nation’s naval fleet is ready to safeguard
the security of the country. In this respect,
Britain dates its first review to 1415 when King
Henry V inspected his fleet before sailing for
war against France.
Reviews are even held at coronations and celebrations.
In UK since Edward VIII’s ascendancy, reviews
have also been held regularly at each coronation,
though the one scheduled in the United Kingdom
for Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee was cancelled
due to costs.
The Indian Navy held an International Fleet Review
(IFR) in Mumbai with 66 ships in 2001 and the
IFR planned by Australia in 2004 where INS Delhi
was invited and was on her way had to be cancelled
due to the Tsunami. Today most large maritime
nations treat reviews as a professional celebration
and to build brotherhood and showcase their operational
capabilities.
The seas and its challenges are indeed the common
bond which links seafarers of the world as one,
and the laws of the seas ensures freedom of the
seas to all. The Indian Navy’s motto is Om
Shano Varuna, which signifies salutation to the
god of the seas Varuna, invoking blessings to
be auspicious unto it. While India boasts of a
maritime heritage dating back to Vedic times,
no authentic records are available of Fleet Reviews
of the distant past, though in the 17th century,
Maratha Admiral Kanoji Angre had a fleet review.
The honour of reviewing the Indian Fleet, as
the Head of the State for the first time, went
to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of
the Indian Republic on 10 Oct 1953.
In India, the President, accompanied by the
Chief of naval Staff, traditionally reviews the
fleet at least once in his or her tenure. This
is exactly what took place off Mumbai on the morning
of 20th December, 2011 under the aegis of the
Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command,
Vice Admiral D K Joshi.
And the exercise was successfully executed by
the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Rear
Admiral Girish Luthra, and his fleet staff.
The responsibility to anchor the ships in their
exact berths devolves on the Fleet Navigating
Officer or a specialist ND officer appointed as
the ‘Master of the Fleet’ and a special
time window is chosen when the tide is flowing
out (ebbing) so that the reviewing vessel carrying
the President and flying the national flag as
the President’s standard can sail down the
lines. The ships are dressed overall and their
ships’ companies line the ship side and doff
their caps with and accord three Jais on the ship’s
broadcast with the words, “Rashtrapati Ki
Jai”.
The Captain of the ship stands atop the upper
bridge and salutes the reviewing officer. VIPs.
diplomats and defence or naval attaches of various
countries and families are invited.
The President’s Fleet Review 2011 held on
20th December, was an impressive ceremony, where
the maritime might of the Indian Navy with all
its missile power was displayed, and in all its
splendour. Naval ships, craft, and ships from
the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Mercantile Marine,
and Sea Cadet Corps were also anchored in neat
lines and dressed overall. The President, Mrs
Pratibha Devi Singh Patil embarked on INS Subhadra
– naval ensign P-51 – the of shore vessel
nominated as the Presidential Yacht, which flew
the National Flag
Incidentally Subhadra is equipped to fire the
300km nuclear tipped Dhanush missile and also
hosts the large Larsen and Toubro- supplied long
range missile tracking radar under a radome.
The symbol of the state, the Ashoka Pillar, was
painted in gold leaf on the shipside and INS Savitri
P53 was the standby yacht. INS Subhadra was converted
in to a President’s Yacht by Naval Dockyard
Mumbai and equipped with a full medical operation
theatre, a VIP cabin and all the security requirements
that are given in the green book.
Overall, the Indian Navy’s PFR -2011 boasted
of a record 81 ships which included 4 submarines
and 41 aircraft
The President’s yacht was escorted by the
two fast attack craft which can develop 40 knots
as escorts clearing the range in speed laden maneouvers
generating large wakes making the naval cavalcade
impressive. Each ship in the review from the small
sail boat of the Sea Cadet Corps, the round the
worldclass yacht Mhadei sailed single handedly
by Cdr Dilip Dhonde and three masted sailing ship
INS Tarangini, to survey and support ships/tankers
and missile equipped frigates and destroyers warships.
A line of the powerful missile boats equipped
with Styx and Uran missiles executed a high speed
sail past the aircraft carrier. All ships’
companies were in their pristine white ceremonial
uniforms, and PFR participation this time was
much higher than the last PFR held in Vishakhapatnam
on 13th Feb 2006, which was reviewed by President
APJ Abdul Kalam. Then, 58 ships and 55 aircraft
took part.
The Commanders in Chief (C-in-Cs) of the Eastern,
Southern and Andaman Nicobar Island Commands,
Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, K Sushil and Lt Gen
Naresh Marwah respectively, were present on the
President’s Yacht and flew their flags on
their respective Flag Ships. The recently appointed
Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Vice
Admiral MP Murlidharan, flew his flag on CGS Samudra
Prahari.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma,
flew his flag on aircraft carrier INS Viraat that
he once commanded. The Flag Officer Eastern Fleet,
Rear Admiral HSC Bhist, arrived with Eastern fleet
ships to take part and saluted the President from
his flagship INS Shivalik.
Immediately after the Review, the President inaugurated
a 44-day Maritime Heritage Exhibition (MARHEX
2011) as part of the Navy Week, jointly held by
the Western Naval Command and the Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya at the Mumbai
museum. In the evening at sunset, the ships at
anchorage were illuminated. The garlands of lights
made the harbour of Mumbai come alive like a fairy
land and many people thronged to the Taj Mahal
hotel area and the Gateway of India to savour
the sight and the celebratory fireworks display
that followed.
The evening prior to the PFR, the Western Naval
Command arranged a scintillating orchestral performance
by the Indian Navy Symphonic Orchestra in the
Navy Nagar auditorium and followed it with a Presidential
Banquet 19th December, which also happened to
be the President’s birthday. CNS Admiral
Nirmal Verma took the opportunity to wish the
Supreme Commander a very happy birthday and as
a gift pledged the Navy’s unstinting resolve
to re-dedicate the Navy with renewed vigour to
serve the nation in peace and in war.
Notably, the Indian Navy has a very ambitious
expansion plan, to which Admiral Verma has contributed
significantly during an earlier assignment at
the Naval Headquarters as well as now, and 40
ships are on order including six submarines.
India’s Navy is expected to bear the larger
burden of safeguarding the trade and stability
in the Indian Ocean and ensuring that the Sea
Lines of Communications (SLOCs) and choke points
are kept free for passage. India has interests
in far off South China Sea which area needs to
be safeguarded. During the last few years, the
Navy has had to combat piracy off the Horn of
Somalia which is moving towards the islands of
Lakshadweep, posing new maritime challenges as
pirates can also be used by terrorists.
It may be noted that 60 percent of the world’s
trade, including precious energy resources of
many countries including India, traverse the Indian
Ocean in 80,000 ships annually. The threat of
hijacking, terrorism and attacks on offshore rigs
and platforms looms large which could disrupt
the world’s economy which is witnessing an
unprecedented boom.
Given the geographical realities of India, the
Indian Navy will have to play an increasingly
larger role. The 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai
is a grim reminder in that direction. India’s
maritime imperatives are expanding from the Western
seaboard to its Eastern seaboard in India’s
dynamic ‘look East’ policy.
The President also released a set of four commemorative
stamps depicting the strength of Indian Navy and
PFR-2011 was testimony that the Indian Navy is
readying itself for the greater responsibilities
it is being asked to take on.
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