Indian Naval ship reaches Fiji

An Indian Naval ship on Monday reached a Fijian port and over the next three days would be conducting activities in collaboration with the government there.

INS Sahyadri is visiting the Republic of Fiji en route to India after participation in the RIMPAC 2018 at Hawaii and will be celebrating India's 72nd Independence Day in the Port of Suva on Wednesday.

During the visit, the Indian Naval ship personnel will have professional interaction with their Fiji counterparts. The ship will have an open day for the general public on Tuesday.

Apart from the interaction, officers from INS Sahyadri, Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) bands and Indian High Commission will also be participating in mangrove/sandalwood planting activities the second day.

On Wednesday, a medical camp will be organized in collaboration with the Fijian government where doctors from both the countries will jointly perform free health screening from 10 am to 4:30 pm at Ratu Sukuna Park, Suva.

The day will also see the Indian Navy and RFMF bands perform between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.

INS Sahyadri (F49) is the third and latest ship among the Shivalik Class of indigenously built stealth frigates and forms a part of the Eastern Fleet of Indian Navy.

Built by the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, INS Sahyadri was launched into the sea in 2005. She undertook sea trials for over a year in 2011-12 and was finally commissioned along with her sisters INS Shivalik (F-47) and INS and Satpura (F-48) into the Indian Navy on July 21, 2012.

The Shivalik-class frigate ship draws her name from the age-defying Western Coast (also known as Sahyadri ranges) stretching across 1,600 km along the Western Coast of India.

INS Sahyadri has also won the Best Ship trophy in the Fleet Award Function of 2018 for its immense contribution in carrying out massive maritime operations in the Eastern front.

--IANS

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