President Droupadi Murmu Undertakes Historic Submarine Sortie Aboard INS Vaghsheer

President of India Droupadi Murmu created history by undertaking a rare operational sortie aboard the Indian Navy’s frontline submarine INS Vaghsheer, reaffirming her role as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and highlighting India’s growing maritime strength. The sortie took place at the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka, one of India’s most strategically significant naval facilities along the western coast.

This underwater journey placed President Murmu among a very select group of Indian leaders, making her only the second President of India to experience a submarine sortie, after former President Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in 2006. The event symbolised both continuity and confidence in India’s evolving naval capabilities.

President Murmu undertakes historic sea sortie aboard Kalvari-class submarine INS Vaghsheer. She becomes the second president after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to do so. (PTI) | Firstpost

Experience Aboard India’s Advanced Submarine

During the sortie, President Murmu spent over two hours inside the submarine, observing operational demonstrations and interacting with officers and sailors serving aboard INS Vaghsheer. Accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, she witnessed firsthand the complexities of undersea operations and the high levels of preparedness maintained by the Indian Navy’s submarine arm.

The President praised the professionalism, discipline, and dedication of the crew, describing the experience as unique and memorable. Her engagement provided an opportunity to assess operational readiness in one of the most demanding and high-risk domains of modern warfare.

INS Vaghsheer and India’s Indigenous Naval Capabilities

INS Vaghsheer is a Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarine, developed under India’s Project-75 programme. It is the sixth and final submarine of this class, representing a major milestone in India’s efforts toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Built with advanced stealth features, cutting-edge sonar systems, and modern combat capabilities, the submarine is designed for multiple roles including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface operations, intelligence gathering, and maritime surveillance.

The Kalvari-class submarines are considered crucial to India’s sea-denial strategy, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region, where underwater platforms play a decisive role in maintaining strategic deterrence and maritime security.

Strategic Significance of the Submarine Sortie

The President’s submarine sortie comes at a time when maritime security has assumed greater importance amid evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region. Submarines remain one of the most effective tools for safeguarding national interests, offering stealth, endurance, and deterrence capabilities unmatched by surface vessels.

By engaging directly with frontline naval assets, President Murmu reinforced the importance of civil-military integration and sent a strong message of institutional support to the armed forces. The sortie also highlighted the strategic role of Karwar Naval Base, which is being developed as a key hub for India’s long-term maritime operations.

Continuing Engagement With the Armed Forces

This was not President Murmu’s first operational interaction with the Indian Navy. Earlier, she had witnessed naval operations aboard INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier. Such engagements underscore her active involvement in defence matters and reflect the confidence of India’s political leadership in the country’s military preparedness.

The MGMM Outlook

President Droupadi Murmu’s submarine sortie aboard INS Vaghsheer is a defining moment that underlines India’s deepening maritime confidence and the seriousness with which national leadership engages with frontline defence capabilities. By undertaking this rare operational journey from the strategically vital Karwar Naval Base, the President reinforced her constitutional role as Supreme Commander while sending a strong signal of trust and solidarity to the Indian Navy. The event also places her in a select legacy of leaders who have directly experienced undersea operations, symbolising continuity in India’s defence ethos and an evolving understanding of modern naval warfare at the highest level of the state.

The sortie equally draws attention to INS Vaghsheer and the broader success of Project-75, which reflects India’s steady progress toward indigenous defence manufacturing and strategic self-reliance. As a Kalvari-class submarine equipped for surveillance, deterrence, and combat roles, Vaghsheer represents a crucial pillar of India’s sea-denial strategy in the Indian Ocean Region. At a time of heightened geopolitical churn in the Indo-Pacific, such engagements highlight the growing importance of undersea platforms, civil-military cohesion, and long-term maritime preparedness in safeguarding India’s national and strategic interests.

(Sources: Firstpost, News18, Times of India)