Port Blair, July 06: Four ships of the Indian Navy under the command of Rear Admiral Ajit Kumar, PVSM, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet entered Port Blair on 03 Jul 12, after undertaking an operational deployment to the South China Sea and the North West Pacific. The ships deployed include the indigenously built Guided Missile Stealth Frigate Shivalik, the Guided Missile Destroyer Rana, the Guided Missile Corvette Karmuk and the versatile fast Fleet replenishment Tanker Shakti. During the deployment from early May to end Jun 12, port calls at Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Japan, China and Malaysia were made. The port visit to Tokyo between 05 – 09 Jun 12, was also in commemoration of 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
During the deployment, the ships covered a total distance of 10000 nautical miles, showcasing the operational reach of the Indian Navy and building bridges of friendship across the seas.
