Loving Your Country by APJ Abdul Kalam

Author:APJ Abdul Kalam [Kalam Abdul APJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789353052263
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2018-08-09T00:00:00+00:00

The Indian Navy—A Silent Force

Address to army officers, families and students of the Army School and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jabalpur

11 July 2011

I would like to share with you a few thoughts on the topic ‘My Flag is My Life’. From 2002 to 2007, I was the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. In that capacity, I was always keen to know the environment in which our armed forces operate, their state of readiness, their problems and challenges.

On 13 February 2006, I took a ride underwater in the naval submarine, INS Sindhurakshak. I entered the submarine through the lower lid of the conning tower and descended for about ten metres. The submarine dove to a depth of about thirty metres from the surface and started cruising. Through a narrow circular door of one metre in diameter, I entered the submarine control room. The crew explained the functioning of the submarine, demonstrating the manoeuvring operations and buoyancy control methodologies with great enthusiasm. It was a thrilling experience for me to cruise with the Chief of Naval Staff and the young sailors and officers. During the review, I was shown the underwater communication system, target identification and launch simulation. This was followed by the firing of a torpedo or a missile to simulate an attack, demonstrating the combat capability of our underwater silent force. The target location, signature analysis from the sonar data, torpedo launch and its homing were presented. I realized the complexities involved in underwater warfare.

I moved on to the weapon storage compartment where the torpedoes are stored; this compartment connects to the front of the submarine where water is filled before launching the torpedoes. Then I moved through various compartments to the rear of the submarine to see the diesel engine-based propulsion system and the electric drives. I met ninety officers and sailors in the vessel, all working like busybees. Their job was not easy but they were proud of their challenging mission. We went to a small working room where seven people could be accommodated. We had a delicious vegetarian lunch. I was given a presentation on future submarine building plans for the next thirty years.

The submarine, after completing its underwater journey of three hours, was ready to surface. The procedure started and the vessel came to the surface and moved in the direction of the shore. I climbed up through the ladder of the conning tower. I saw the land and the ocean behind me. What a memorable underwater journey. Our navy is indeed multi-dimensional—under water, on the water and above the water. The high morale shown by the sailors and the officers in the submarine is commendable and inspiring.

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