New Delhi, Jun 20 (FN Agency) Indian Navy on Sunday said that its warship INS Sahyadri adjudged as the ‘Best Ship of Eastern Naval Command in Fleet Award Function (FAF) this year while INS Kamorta as the ‘Most Spirited Ship’ for displaying indomitable spirit and grit. Similarly, INS Kiltan and Khukri were given the Best Corvette trophy for undertaking a plethora of challenging missions.
Fleet Awards Function marks the culmination of the Operational Cycle of the Eastern Fleet and recognises accomplishments of the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC). The FAF 2021 was held to celebrate the operational achievements of the Eastern Fleet during the last year on Saturday and this year the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh was the Chief Guest at the event hosted by Rear Admiral Tarun Sobti Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. The year gone by was a challenging one for the Sunrise Fleet and despite the COVID pandemic gripped the world, Eastern Fleet went about its operational responsibilities and maintained a forward active posture. Sustaining high operational tempo, the Fleet ships participated in numerous operations, exercises, and humanitarian assistance missions.
The Eastern Fleet ships participated in several major bilateral and multilateral exercises such as Malabar-20, La Perouse, PASSEX with various navies and undertook Op Sahayam and Mission SAGAR for delivery of HADR stores and Op Samudra Setu for evacuation of stranded Indian citizen from overseas. In the second wave of COVID-19 as Op Samudra Setu II, Eastern Fleet ships acted as the mainstay for enhancing oxygen delivery to the Eastern seaboard emphasising its role as a professional and credible force.