Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani (C) along with other senior naval officers on board INS Tarmugli during the warship’s recommissioning ceremony. (Photo: Indian Navy)
Visakhapatnam/New Delhi: The Indian Navy formally recommissioned INS Tarmugli, a refurbished 22-year-old fast-attack craft with a unique history spanning two nations and three names, at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam, on Thursday. Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, the Navy’s chief of materiel, was the chief guest of the event.
The reinduction ceremony of the ship marks the vessel’s return to the Navy after more than 17 years.
INS Tarmugli, originally designed and constructed by the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, was first commissioned on March 17, 2001 as INS Tillanchang, a Trinkat-class vessel, and served actively until 2006 before being gifted to the Maldives National Defence Force by India as part of diplomatic efforts in the Indian Ocean Region. While in the Navy, the warship served as a patrol vessel.
Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani (3L) along with other senior naval officers on board INS Tarmugli during the warship’s recommissioning ceremony. (Photo: Indian Navy)
Under the MNDF, the ship was rechristened MCGS (Maldivian Coast Guard Ship) Huravee and served until its decommissioning in May 2023. The previous pro-Indian Maldivian government then returned the ship to India, where she underwent extensive refurbishment at the Visakhapatnam naval dockyard. It is worth mentioning that while serving under the Maldives’ coast guard as MCGS Huravee, the ship underwent refitting at the same naval dockyard in November 2018.
Tarmugli when she served in the Maldives’ coast guard as MCGS Huravee. (Photo: US Navy/Public domain)
The 46-metre warship, which is named after a picturesque island in the Andamans, has a displacement of 320 tonnes and a top speed of 30 knots (30 nautical miles per hour or 55.56 kilometres per hour). It is now fitted with MTU engines, the latest communication equipment, a 30mm gun, and an advanced radar system. In a release, the Navy said INS Tarmugli will be extensively used for coastal surveillance and protection of our offshore development areas in the KG Basin along the India’s east coast.
Commander Satpal Singh Sangwan would command the ship, which would operate under the naval officer in charge (Andhra Pradesh).
Earlier on Wednesday, speaking on the recommissioning of INS Tarmugli, a Navy spokesman told reporters that the warship’s journey is a testament to the strong bonds India shares with its neighbours. He also said, “This reinduction is a testament to the enduring value and adaptability of our naval assets,” adding “INS Tarmugli’s past service has proven her capabilities, and her refurbished form will further strengthen our maritime security posture.”
Vice Admiral and other senior Navy officers and sailors salute the Indian Navy’s ensign as it is being hoisted on INS Tarmugli during its recommissioning ceremony. (Photo: Indian Navy)
It may be recalled that following political changes in the Maldives, the newly elected president, Mohamed Muizzu, expressed a preference for closer ties with China and asked Indian military personnel to leave the atoll nation, as reported by India Sentinels, in November.
