VISAKHAPATNAM: The Eastern Naval Command, with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam, will host the Presidential Fleet Review (PFR) on February 21 next year. The schedule for the review has been finalised and the remaining events would be confirmed later. This is for the second time Visakhapatnam is hosting the President Fleet Review. President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam reviewed the fleet in 2006 in Visakhapatnam, said naval sources in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
Every President as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces reviews the naval fleet once in his or her term as per tradition. Ships from Southern and Western commands, Indian Coast Guard and a few merchant ships belonging to Shipping Corporation of India will participate in the fleet review.
Sources said the event could be for two days and President Ram Nath Kovind would attend on the second day on February 21 and review the fleet. It is not yet decided on conducting the operation display at RK Beach. If not held during the PFR, the event would be organised during MILAN, the biennial and multilateral naval exercise, that would be held a week after the fleet review.
MILAN commenced in 1995, and was conducted at Andaman and Nicobar Command until 2018. It was to be held in March in 2020 but deferred due to Covid Pandemic.
President Kalam created history by becoming India's first head of state to undertake an undersea sortie. During his fleet review held in Visakhapatnam in 2006, Dr Kalam travelled on the INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-origin Kilo class submarine, for a duration of three-and-a-half hours.
