INDIA. Mumbai: In a memorable moment, the Chiefs of the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force visited the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (near Pune in Maharashtra), their Alma-Mater, together on Friday and Saturday.
The visit marked the historical moment for the prestigious Tri-Service Training Academy at Khadakwasla, as all the three service chiefs are course mates from the 56th Course of NDA, which is rare and unique. Earlier, it was only in 1991 that all three service chiefs were course mates from the first NDA (erstwhile Joint Services Wing) course.
The very idea and thought of them visiting their Alma-Mater together not only reaffirmed the eternity of the bonds of camaraderie imbibed in the Academy but also signified the spirit of ‘Jointmanship’ which the Tri-Service Training Institution stands for.
The idea of establishing the Joint Training Academy for training officers of three services was conceived by a committee headed by the then Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinlek in 1945 and Academy commenced functioning in its interim location at Dehradun (Uttarakhand) as Joint Service Wing in Jan 1949. The foundation stone of the Academy at Khadakwasla was laid on October 06, 1949, and inaugurated on January 16, 1955. In its glorious history of over seven decades, the Academy has produced the first Chief of the Defence Staff, 13 Chiefs of Army Staff, 11 Chiefs of Navy Staff, and 09 Chiefs of the Air Staff.
Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC assumed as the Chief of the Naval Staff on May 31, 2019. Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC took over as Chief of the Air Staff on September 30, 2019, and General MM Naravane, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC took over as Chief of the Army Staff on December 31, 2019.
Speaking on behalf of the three chiefs on this historical occasion the Chief of the Naval Staff dwelled upon the emerging trends of modern warfare. He also exhorted the cadets to imbibe the basic tenets of modern military leadership. The Chiefs reviewed the ongoing training of cadets and the available training and administrative infrastructure of NDA.
During their visit, the chiefs paid homage at the ‘Hut of Remembrance’, which commemorates the sacrifice of ex-NDA officers of Armed Forces who laid down their lives in the line of duty. The Service Chiefs also visited their parent squadrons ‘Hunter’ (Naval Chief) & ‘Lima’ (Army & Air Chiefs) and interacted with the cadets of the respective squadrons. Interaction with the faculty and staff of NDA was also organized towards the end of their visit. Their visit to the Academy provided unmatched inspiration and a sense of pride to all the cadets and would further catalyze them to strive for excellence in their military careers and reinforce the Spirit of Camaraderie and Jointmanship amongst the three Services, a Defence spokesman Commander Mehul Karnik said.
Exercise Konkan 2021
In another development, the “Exercise Konkan 2021” was held between INS Tabar and HMS Westminster on August 16, in the English Channel. The exercise included the participation of integral helicopters of the two ships and the Falcon Electronic Warfare aircraft. A wide range of exercises including coordinated anti-submarine procedures, firing drills, combined maritime picture compilation, combat formation manoeuvring and replenishment at sea was conducted. These along with the diverse professional engagements held earlier in the harbor have enabled Exercise Konkan 2021 to consolidate interoperability and helped cement the strong bonds of friendship between the two navies.
NCS Student Felicitated
In the meanwhile Jiya Rai, a teenage girl and a student of Navy Children School, Mumbai was awarded the “Stree Sanman Award” by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Friday at Raj Bhavan in South Mumbai. She is a daughter of Madan Rai MC-AT-ARMS II of INS Kunjali and has accomplished an unprecedented feat of swimming from Worli Sea Link to Gateway of India, a distance of 36 km, in 08 hours 40 minutes bringing laurels to the school.
