It was a very proud and sombre moment for the Eastern Naval Command
Navy personnel bring down the Naval Ensign for the last time on board INS Astravahini during its decommissioning at the ENC in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. (Photo: DC)
Visakhapatnam: It was a very proud and sombre moment for the Eastern Naval Command as INS Astravahini, an indigenously built Torpedo Lau-nch and Recovery Vessel was decommissioned by Naval officer-in-charge (AP), Commodore K.A. Bopanna, in a ceremony held at the Ship Building Centre (V) at sunset on Thursday.
The ceremony commenced with an impressive guard of honour and culminated in hauling down of Naval Ensign for the last time at sunset. Commodore Bopanna, while addressing the crew and guests present during the ceremony, highlighted the contribution made by the vessel in the trials of indigenous torpedoes developed by the NSTL.
An auxiliary vessel of the TLRV (torpedo launching and recovery) class, the ship was ordered to be built by the NSTL in October 1981 for defence research and development activities.
The ship was commissioned on November 5, 1984 at Visakhapatnam and decommissioned on Thursday after serving the nation for almost 31 years. The only one of its class, the ship was extensively used by the NSTL as a test platform to launch and recover experimental torpedoes prior to their induction into the Navy. INS Astravahini was commanded by Lt Rohan Kulkarni.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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