Navy Day | 05 Dec 2019
Why in News
The Indian Navy Day is celebrated on December 4 every year to commemorate Operation Trident. The Navy also organises a Beating Retreat ceremony at Gateway of India in Mumbai on the eve of the Navy Day.
Operation Trident
- It was a counter-attack by Indian Navy on the Karachi harbour during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971.
- India used anti-ship missiles for the first time during this operation and destroyed the Pakistani destroyer ship PNS Khaibar.
- The Indian Navy's three warships - INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer - played an important role in the attack.
Indian Navy
- It is headed by the President of India as its Supreme Commander.
- Indian Navy’s Motto is - Sam no Varunah (शं नो वरूण:) that means that the God of water, Varuna, should be auspicious unto us.
- Some of the earliest operations of the Indian Navy include its contribution in liberating Goa from Portugal in 1961.
- The Navy has developed as an admirable force with the making of the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant and several other ships.
- Indian Navy currently has one aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya which was a former Russian ship that was commissioned into service in 2013.
- It operates three classes of submarines: Chakra (it has the nuclear-powered INS Chakra), Sindhughosh, and Shishumar.
- Marine Commandos or MARCOS is the special force unit of the Indian Navy, trained to conduct amphibious warfare, counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, hostage rescue and asymmetric warfare.
- They were the first to respond to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.