Navy’s operational prowess on full display at R.K. Beach in Vizag

Scintillating show by fighter jets and helicopters, and daredevilry of Marine Commandos offer a visual treat

All roads led to R.K. Beach in the city, as thousands of people converged on the beach to watch the operational display of the Indian Navy conducted as part of the City Parade of MILAN-2022, hosted by the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), on Sunday evening.

Though the programme was scheduled at 5.30 p.m., people, braving the hot sun, thronged the venue early anticipating traffic jams and to get as close to the main venue as possible.

The tastefully decorated main stage was like a glass compartment, with glass walls on all sides, perhaps to ensure security for the VIPs as also to enable them to see the demos by rotating their chairs to the sea side and the invitees seated in the galleries on the opposite side.

The audience craned their necks to watch the scintillating display by the fighter jets and helicopters, as the pilots performed manoeuvres in the sky.

Seven Hawk aircraft flying close to each in a formation, ‘Panther’ aircraft in an ‘arrow head’ formation dropping flares and a single ‘panther’ racing through the sky at 900 kmph made the crowd look up in awe.

Two fighter jets flying in a circular fashion and later chasing each other, slithering operation from a Naval Sea King helicopter, in which a rope was lowered from the chopper to rescue a hostage, and a Chetak helicopter rescuing a diver, drowning at sea, as part of the ‘Search and Rescue (SAR)‘ operation, and different types of helicopters flying in formations offered a visual treat to the gathering.

The crowd clapped as Marine Commandos dived from an aircraft at a height of 6,000 feet. The parachutes, which opened in the sky, carried the national flag and the flag of the Indian Navy. The divers circled in the sky above the RK Beach area, and finally landed at the designated spot on the beach.