Crest of Navy warship 'Surat' to be unveiled in city it's named after

The crest of Indian Navy's latest warship 'Surat' will be unveiled by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in the presence of the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and other senior officers on Monday.

This is the first warship to be named after a city of Gujarat and this is also the first time the unveiling of the crest of a warship is being undertaken in the very city after which it has been named, a Press Information Bureau release said on Sunday

The ceremony to unveil the crest will be held in Surat, with Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command and Rear Admiral Anil Jaggi, Flag Officer Commanding Gujarat Naval Area in attendance, the release informed.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had launched this indigenously constructed ship, which is a guided missile destroyer, in March last year at Mumbai.

"Amongst the latest frontline 'warship projects' under construction, the 'Project 15B' programme involves construction of four next generation stealth guided missile destroyers, of which "Surat" is the fourth and the last ship," it said.

"The warship is presently under construction at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. Construction of this warship testifies the nation's dedication to indigenous cutting-edge warship building technology and commitment to strategic military advancements," the release added.

From a small navy at the time of Independence, the Indian Navy today is a highly capable, combat ready, cohesive, credible and future proof force, with more than 130 surface warships and an additional 67 warships under construction, said the release.

'Make in India' and 'Atma Nirbharta' have been a key factor in the growth of the Indian Navy and out of the 67 warships under construction, 65 are being constructed in Indian Shipyards, the release mentioned.

Surat was the most important maritime trade link between India and many other countries from the 16th to the 18th century and was a flourishing centre for ship building activities.

The vessels built in Surat during this period were especially renowned for their longevity as some ships continued to be in service for more than 100 years, the PIB release said.

"It is a maritime tradition and a naval custom according to which many of the Indian naval ships have been named after prominent cities of our nation. Indian Navy is therefore immensely proud of naming its latest and technologically the most advanced warship after the city of Surat," said the release.