The Indian Navy’s twenty second Missile Vessel Squadron, which bombed the Karachi port and sank Pakistani Navy ships within the 1971 battle, will obtain the Presidential Standard from President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday for its distinguished service. A uncommon honour.
This 12 months additionally marks 50 years of the inception of Missile Vessel Squadron, also called ‘Killers’, which has maintained a reputable offensive punch from sea over the previous 5 many years, a Navy official stated on Sunday.
Based in Mumbai, the Missile Vessel Squadron has participated in Operation Vijay, Operation Parakram and most lately, through the heightened safety state following the Pulwama assault, it was deployed inside hanging distance of the Pakistan coast.
“The ships in this squadron have the capability to move quickly and are missile ready. Their deployment also acts as a deterrent,” stated an officer posted within the squadron.
The Indian Navy was awarded the President’s Color by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad on May 27, 1951. “The Presidential Standard is the same honor as the Presidential Colours, which is awarded to a relatively small military formation or unit,” the Navy stated in an announcement.
The twenty second Missile Vessel Squadron was formally established in October 1991 at Mumbai with 10 Veer class and three Prabal class missile boats.
But, the ‘killers’ originated in 1969, with the induction of OSA I class missile boats from the erstwhile USSR to enhance the power of the Indian Navy, the official stated.
These missile boats have been taken to India on heavy-lift service provider ships and commissioned at Kolkata in early 1971. He stated that he was posted on an essential mission within the very first 12 months through the Indo-Pak battle in 1971 and performed a decisive function in its final result.
On the intervening evening of December 4-5, 1971, a younger Indian Navy soldier shed first blood when he launched a devastating assault on the Pakistani Navy.
Indian Navy ships Nirghat, Nipat and Veer fired their Styx missiles and sank Pakistani Navy ships Khyber and Muhafiz, the official stated.
Codenamed Op Trident, the operation is taken into account one of the crucial profitable operations in trendy naval historical past, with no casualties by Indian forces, he stated.
The Indian Navy launched one other daring assault on the intervening evening of 8-9 December when INS Vinash, together with two warships, launched 4 Styx missiles, sinking the tanker Dhaka of Pakistan’s naval fleet and the Kemari oil storage facility in Karachi. Got numerous injury. ,
“No injury was reported to the Indian forces. It is due to these heroic deeds of the troopers of the ships and squadrons that they bought the title of ‘Killers’ and the Indian Navy celebrates 4th December as Navy Day.”
The Navy stated the squadron personnel have been awarded battle honours, together with one Maha Vir Chakra, seven Vir Chakras and eight Naval Medals (Gallantry), that are testimony to the valor of the ‘killers’.
The 12 months 2021 marks the fiftieth anniversary of India’s victory within the 1971 battle and is being celebrated because the ‘Golden Victory Year’ throughout the nation.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
