Eastern Naval Command celebrates Submarine Day in Visakhapatnam

Submarine Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam: Submarine Day is celebrated on 8 December every year to mark the birth of the Indian Navy’s Submarine Arm with the commissioning of its first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari on 8 December 1967. On this day, each year, the submarine fraternity celebrates this momentous occasion through a series of events coordinated by INS Virbahu and INS Satavahana, under the aegis of the Submarine Headquarters (SMHQ). On the occasion of the 53rd Submarine Anniversary, Vice Admiral K Srinivas, AVSM, NM, VSM, Project Director Ship Building Center Visakhapatnam laid a wreath at the submarine Cenotaph at INS Virbahu on behalf of all officers and sailors of the Submarine Arm to pay homage to submariners on ‘Eternal Patrol’.

Eastern Naval Command is home to the most powerful submarine force in the Indian Ocean Region comprising of both nuclear and conventional submarines. The depot ship, INS Virbahu which means “The Heroic Arm” was commissioned on 19 May 1971 by the then Raksha Matri, Jagjivan Ram, and is regarded as the “Home of the Dolphins”. This year marks the commencement of the 50th year of INS Virbahu, which has provided operational, logistic, and administrative support to all submarines at Visakhapatnam.

Earlier this month, the ENC toned down the Navy Day celebrations owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.