SAFLAN-2019 held at Kochi naval base

The first-ever southern naval command (SNC) Afloat Awards Night 2019 (SAFLAN-2019) was held at the naval base here to acknowledge the efforts of the SNC ships in maintaining high standards of operational readiness and to inculcate a spirit of competition and desire for excellence.

Vice-Admiral A K Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, SNC, was the chief guest for the event held Thursday and he presented eight trophies to the commanding officers of the meritorious ships, a defence release said here.

The awards are meant to acknowledge exceptional performance in conduct of maritime operations and maintaining combat efficiency by the ships.

During the event, the annual report of activities and accomplishments of afloat units was also presented.

The event was followed by an interaction of the Commander-in-Chief with the crew of each ship.

SNC ships have been at the forefront of operational activities during the past year.

They have maintained constant vigil along the coast of Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands, and also actively participated in two humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations at Palu, Indonesia, on October 18 and Beira, Mozambique, on March 19, the release added.