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INS Kirpan was handed over to Vietnam after being withdrawn from the Indian Navy (Representative Image – Shutterstock)
Officials said it was the first time that India had handed over a fully operational cruiser to any friendly foreign country. Chief of the Navy Admiral R Hari Kumar, who is currently on an official visit to Vietnam, presided over the ceremony at Vietnamese deep water bay Cam Ranh where the frontline warship was handed over to the People’s Vietnamese Navy.
India on Saturday awarded its serviceable INS Kirpan missile aircraft to Vietnam in a reflection of the growing bilateral strategic and defense partnership amid shared concerns over China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.
Officials said it was the first time that India had handed over a fully operational cruiser to any friendly foreign country. Chief of the Navy Admiral R Hari Kumar, who is currently on an official visit to Vietnam, presided over the ceremony in Vietnam’s deep water bay Cam Ranh where the frontline warship was handed over to the People’s Vietnamese Navy.
The Indian Navy said the ship was handed over to the Vietnamese People’s Navy (VPN) with a complete “weapon supplement”.
Addressing the event, Admiral Kumar said, “Today’s handover ceremony symbolizes the deep-rooted friendship and strategic partnership between India and Vietnam.”
“What makes this occasion even more significant is the fact that this is the first time ever that India has offered a fully functional Corvette to any friendly foreign country,” he said.
The Navy Commander said the transfer of INS Kirpan to the Vietnamese People’s Navy is in line with India’s G20 vision “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Land, One Family, One Future.” Vietnam, an important country in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea region.
India has oil exploration projects in Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea. India and Vietnam have strengthened their cooperation in the field of maritime security in the past few years to protect common interests.
“Today’s event serves as a reaffirmation of our commitment to broadening and deepening our defense partnership, not only bilaterally but also within the broader multilateral framework,” he said.
Admiral Kumar hoped that NS Kirpan would continue to sail the vast seas, “holding the principles of freedom, justice and international rules-based order to be the pillar around which a ‘force for good’ is built”.
His comments come against the backdrop of China’s growing military power in the South China Sea.
“While we entrust INS Kirpan to the Vietnamese Navy, we do so with complete confidence in its ability to operate and maintain this fine vessel,” said the Navy Commander.
He added, “We are certain that it will harness its enormous potential to protect its national maritime interests, contribute to regional security, and promote peace and stability.”
INS Kirpan was delivered to Vietnam after being withdrawn from the Indian Navy.
“After completing 32 years of illustrious service to the nation, Indian Navy Vessel Kirpan has been withdrawn from Indian Naval Service and handed over to VPN today,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
INS Kirpan, since its commissioning in 1991, has been an integral part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet and has been involved in numerous operations over the past 32 years.
With a crew of about 12 officers and 100 sailors, the ship is 90 meters long, 10.45 meters wide with a maximum displacement of 1,450 tons.
The Indian Navy said, “The transfer of INS Kirpan from the Indian Navy to the People’s Vietnamese Navy, symbolizes the status of the Indian Navy of being the ‘preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean region’.”
The INS Kirpan, an indigenously built Khukri-class missile corvette, has been delivered to Vietnam in line with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s announcement last month that India would award the country an in-service missile cruiser.
INS Kirpan departed for her final voyage under the Indian tricolor from India to Vietnam on 28 June and arrived at Cam Ranh, Vietnam on 8 July.
(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
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