The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : INS Mithun decommissioned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

INS Mithun decommissioned

Special Correspondent

It rendered 23 years service to the Indian Navy "It clocked 111,442 hours, covered 72,390 nautical miles"

CHENNAI: The INS Mithun, the second of the Makar class of survey craft, was decommissioned on Friday after it rendered 23 years service to the Indian Navy.

In tune with the naval tradition, the decommissioning ceremony was carried out. A ceremonial guard was paraded on the occasion. With the sounding of the Last Post at sunset, the "paying off pennant" along with the Naval ensign was lowered for the last time. A box containing the naval ensign was handed over by Cdr Sandeep Bali, Commanding officer, to the chief guest, Commodore P.E.VanHaltren, Naval Officer-in-charge, Tamil Nadu.

Senior Naval officers, ex-commanding officers and senior coast guard officers participated in the solemn farewell to the ship at the West Quay berth at Chennai Port. A naval band from Visakhapatnam was in attendance. Built at the Goa Shipyard Ltd., INS Mithun was commissioned into the Indian Navy on March 31, 1984.

It was originally designed for carrying out survey activities and was initially based at Kochi. From October 1993, it became a patrol vessel and its base shifted to Chennai. Since then, it had been continuously deployed at Palk Bay and adjoining areas.

It contributed immensely to safeguarding the country's territorial waters in the region. It also took part in the tsunami relief operations in December 2004 and was deployed off Kalpakkam as well as Mahabalipuram. The ship clocked 111442 hours underway covering 72,390 nautical miles in its operational career.

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