Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, reached the Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi on Thursday on his maiden visit to the command headquarters. Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) also arrived in Kochi and will be accompanying Singh during the visit.
Both of them reached the Navy airport within the Kochi naval base in separate special flights of the Indian Air Force (IAF) around 7.30pm on Thursday. Vice Admiral AK Chawla, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of SNC received them at the airport in the presence of other senior naval officials.
During the visit, the defence minister will visit the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-I), to be christened as INS Vikrant, that is under construction at M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited. Singh will review the progress of project at the shipyard on Friday morning.
Thereafter, he will visit a few important training establishments of the SNC. He will be briefed on important ongoing training and operational activities being undertaken by SNC. Singh will also be briefed on the COVID-19 innovations and the indigenization efforts of the Indian Navy, as also the aid provided to the civil administration in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singh would depart for New Delhi on Friday evening. Severe security arrangements have been made by the Navy and the police in Kochi as part of Singh’s visit.
