The International Fleet Review at Vishakhapatnam (East coast of India) 06 to 07 Feb 16

seamless transition from Presidents Fleet Review to International Fleet Review- 2001 to 2016

The second International Fleet Review is scheduled to commence on 06 Feb. Historically, Fleet reviews in India are conducted once during a President's tenure. The first review was held in 1953 during the presidency of Dr Rajendra Prasad. Nine more have been held, with the last at Mumbai, on 20 Dec 2011, during the tenure of the first Lady President, Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil .  However, the scale and grandeur of an International Fleet Review is quite another challenge.

The first such event was conceived and executed in 2001 under the leadership of the then CNS, Admiral Sushil Kumar. I was summoned to his office soon after Prime Minister Vajpayee embarked the Western Fleet in Mar 1999.I was the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff(Information Warfare and Operations) The Chief stated that the PM had outlined his maritime vision during discussions with the then External Affairs Minister Mr Jaswant Singh. What better way to execute it, he suggested, than building bridges of friendship across the seas. "Why cannot we convert a Presidents Review into an International Fleet Review?" Having participated in a grand international review at Spit Head in the UK, to celebrate the silver jubilee of the Queen's Coronation in 1977, where INS Udaygiri, a ship built at Mazagaon Docks at Mumbai was nominated by our Navy, my first thought was that it was an audacious suggestion. The logistics of such a show in Mumbai was mind boggling from an international perspective, as was seen at UK. Indeed, our ships had participated in International Fleet Reviews in other parts of the world. USA, UK, Japan and Australia were countries which had successfully hosted such an event. But then they were resource- rich and infrastructurally and logistically well equipped to handle such an event. Given that at least two years of preparations would be needed which included internal clearances from multiple authorities, discussions with MEA, MHA, MOF and MOD, consultations with PMO and the Presidents secretariats, it implied that execution had to commence forthwith.

Mumbai was the only port which had the proven capacity to anchor a large number of ships and was the home for the sword arm of the navy, the Western Naval Command. Having hosted seven such events earlier, planning commenced without further delay. That the event was a resounding success on 12 Feb 2001, has been well documented. 29 foreign warships participated among a total of 89 ships which were reviewed by the Supreme Commander. Over 30 chiefs and senior officers of other navies including a large number from the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) were present.

On the following day, the Marine drive provided a brilliant venue for a grand march past and an operational demo for all the participants and the Mumbaikars who enthusiastically supported the event.

For the record, Mumbaikars were requested through print and the electronic media to assist in reducing the smog created by vehicles and other polluting industries. That the event including the fly past and displays on the next day were a complete success, proves the contribution made by the citizens of Mumbai and the close liaison between the Western Naval Command and the civilian authorities in Mumbai. The city of Vishakhapatnam is now gearing up for the second International Fleet Review scheduled between 06 and 07 Feb this year.

Prime Minister Vajpayee had perhaps kick-started the very concept of an International Fleet review by outlining his vision for building bridges of friendship across the oceans during his maiden passage on the Fleet ships in March 1999. Later that year hostilities at Kargil resulted in the mobilisation of the Indian navy and deployment on the western seaboard. yet while addressing the participants at the International city parade in 2001,  the Statesman in him articulated the thought, that it was time to rewrite the historical thinking that seas and oceans are dividing features between countries. He ended by saying, "Let us start that process with the Indian ocean." India and the Indian Navy have done just that while reaching out to the IOR.

On a lighter note, two incidents come to my mind. The Captain of USS Cowpens was understandably paranoid about Indian fishing vessels approaching his ship while entering Mumbai. The USS Cole incident had  deeply influenced him. It took a bit of dexterity and diplomacy to tell him that the fishermen of Mumbai were perfectly peace-loving people and that the review anchorage was well protected by coordinated patrols by speed boats of the Indian Navy.

The second incident was when an Iraqi senior officer at the Maritime seminar directed a question at the chair while the US sixth fleet commander was seated in the audience. He asked whether the US presence in the Persian Gulf was an act of maritime diplomacy or maritime piracy. It took the seasoned skill of diplomacy  of JN Dixit, who was the Chairman of that session,  to deflect the question and pose a benign one.

Bottom of Form

The second Review at Vizag promises to be an, even more, memorable event. After all the man-of -war is amongst the best ambassadors of a country.
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