INS Kozhikode decommissioned

Visakhapatnam: Indian Naval Ship Kozhikode was decommissioned in a solemn yet grand ceremony conducted here at Naval Jetty on Saturday. Vice Admiral S N Ghormade, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command was the chief guest for the occasion.

As the sun slowly set in the distant horizon, the ship gracefully 'retired' as operational ship after three decades of glorious service in the Indian Navy. Commodore Samir Advani (Retd) commissioning Commanding Officer was the Guest of Honour for the decommissioning ceremony which was attended by 16 erstwhile commanding officers, officers and sailors who have served on board the ship.

Captain P Sasidharan (Retd), commissioning executive officer, Commodore Afzal Khan, commissioning navigating officer, Commodore VK Sharma (Retd) commissioning engineering officer and Madhavi Sani, wife of late Commodore Nadeem Sani commissioning gunnery officer of the ship, also graced the occasion.

Vice Admiral Ghormade paid tribute to the crew of the ship and highlighted the contributions of the ship to the country's maritime security and her participation in various operations ranging over three decades.

INS Kozhikode was commissioned on December 19, 1988 at Riga (erstwhile USSR) was the sixth and the last of the modified NATYA class of minesweeper. Named after historic port of Calicut, which was also the epitome in India's maritime history, the ship was an integral part of the 21 Mine Counter Measures Squadron, based under ENC at Visakhapatnam.