India has made giant strides last year in the defence arena with the induction of several breakthrough measures. The launch of Agnipath scheme, granting women in the Navy and Air Force to take up combat roles are some of the historic moves taken up in a bid to strengthen the Indian military. Similarly, the Indian Navy made significant progress towards the Centre’s self-reliance drive and the commissioning of INS Vikrant is one such instance. INS Udaygiri, Dunagiri and Taragiri are among other indigenously made ships launched in the Navy.
Check out major leaps the Indian Navy took in the last year:
Commissioning of INS Vikrant
The first indigenous aircraft carrier and the largest ship ever made in the maritime history of India, INS Vikrant was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September, 2022. It is built with state-of-the-art automation features and laden with a large amount of indigenous equipment and machinery. It has the capacity to hold around 1,600 officers and 30 aircrafts.
Launching of INS Udaygiri, Dunagiri and Taragiri
These made-in-India warships have enhanced the country’s maritime capability equipped with advanced weapons and other facilities. All three are the part of Navy’s Project 17A drive. INS Udaygiri was named after a mountain range in Andhra Pradesh which was launched in May last year. INS Dunagiri was launched in July into the Hoogly river. The fifth stealth frigate of Indian Navy’s Project 17A was launched in Mumbai in September, 2022.
ALH MK III helicopters
Another indigenous addition to Indian Navy, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III was commissioned in July last year. Designed and built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the helicopter is deployed to perform MR and SAR operations.
Women in combat
With equalising the eligibility criteria, methodology and induction process of women candidates, Indian Navy has seen increase in the overall number of women. The Indian Navy has also decided to open the doors of its elite special forces to women. This will allow them to serve as commandos for the first time in any of the three services.
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