Thread by @srikantkesnur

1/n. Thread INS Karanj. When Indian Navy Commissioned its latest submarine INS Karanj earlier this week history was made in several ways & several levels. First, it exemplified naval tradition of naming new ships after their illustrious forebears. It aligns with our concept of

2/n. Reincarnation & time space continuum. Old ships do not die, they are simply born in new & more formidable avatars. The erstwhile INS Karanj, a Soviet Foxtrot class submarine, Commissioned in Riga in Baltic sea, was amongst our first batch acquired in late sixties. She sailed

3/n. Far & wide and served the country with distinction for more than 30 years decommissioning in Aug 2003. From the war of 1971 to International Fleet Review in 2001, from operations & exercises to stealthy missions, from training future submariners to testing equipment for

4/n. future acquisitions she did all. The new Karanj inherits that illustrious legacy. It was fitting therefore that someone strongly associated with the predecessor was the Chief Guest at the Commissioning. Admiral VS Shekhawat (VSS) was the first XO (2nd in Command) of the old

5/n. Karanj. More importantly, he was Commanding the Submarine during the 71 war for which he was awarded the Vir Chakra. A pioneer submariner who went on to become the first submariner Chief of Naval Staff, he was also the Chief Guest at the decommissioning of that old lady

6/n. As the 85 year young Admiral VSS gave his short rousing speech in crystal clear voice & navigated the steep submarine ladders with ease for tour inside he symbolised the long magnificent journey undertaken not just by him but the navy & nation too as he alluded in his speech

7/n. Mention must also be made of the first CO of the first Karanj, a short man with double barrelled name Capt Mohan Narayan Rao Samant (MNRS). In 71 war Samant operated a covert unit that created mayhem in then East Pakistan. To know more read the book he coauthored with

8/n. @SandeepUnnithan called Operation X. It's an absolute thriller. Later Samant led a squadron of gunboats on a raid into East Pakistan for which he was awarded country's second highest gallantry award the Maha Vir Chakra. To know more about that read thedailyguardian.com/ins-panvel-the…

9/n. While Capt MNRS is no longer with us, Commissioning ceremony saw the graceful presence of his wife Mrs Nirmala Samant. And many distinguished veterans who served on the first boat or in the submarine arm. All greeted by top brass of Navy led by Admiral Karambir Singh, CNS

10/n. And Vice Adm R Hari Kumar, FOCinC West. While the new Karanj inherits the DNA of old, it's an entirely new awesome beast. State of the art, armed with deadly missiles, torpedos & decoys, bristling with high tech equipment it's a dream come true for the CO Capt Gaurav Mehta

11/n. And his crew. Most important, this is a Made in India product unlike the predecessor. Built at the Mazagon Dock in Mumbai, the submarine sailed for more than 100 days & did more than 1000 hours dived before Commissioning to test & evaluate all equipment. While built to

12/n. Scorpene design, all the trials, evaluation, overseeing & training were conducted by Indian teams indicating our growing prowess in multiple high-tech disciplines in the complex art of submarine building. Above all, the boat has been equipped to be super stealthy & deadly

13/n. thus notching a big milestone for Indian Navy's constant efforts at self reliance & indigenisation. As Adm Shekhawat said in his speech "We live in an India launching numerous satellites, building nuclear submarines, manufacturing vaccines for the world, an India not just

14/n

14/n. At takeoff stage but already taken off. The new Karanj is just one more example of it". The new CO Capt Mehta, like Adm VSS is the topper of his batch & aced every course he has attended. He & his crew of S 23 carry all our good wishes to achieve glory in all that she does

15/n. There is also the Mumbai link. The Mazagon Dock where she was built & Naval dockyard where she will be nurtured together constitute the erstwhile Bombay Dockyard built three centuries ago. The famous Wadia shipbuilders & others ensured constant production of high quality

16/n. Ships for centuries. The same tradition is now being taken forward slowly but surely. Adm VSS has dropped anchor in Mumbai & Capt MNRS breathed his last in this very city two years ago. Karanj is named after the elusive white shark 'discovered' by fishermen from Maharashtra

17/n. In early 1900s. With such rich mix of history & tradition, may Karanj be like her motto "stealthy & fearless always".
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17/n. Thread INS Karanj. @MHSofIndia @Cmde_GPrakash @db2691 @yogiat007 @dperi84 @Palaksharmanews @CaptDKS @w_karve @sameerkarveMT @vinivdvc @Amruta_k @writetake @hukum2082 @Leopard212 @zwerubae @Aryan_warlord @ThingsNavy @navalhistorian @nmfindia @HeritageMausam @MaritimeMMS

18/n. Thread INS Karanj.
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19/n. Thread INS Karanj
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