Droupadi Murmu's Sea Sortie Onboard India’s Final Kalvari-Class Submarine INS Vagsheer | Pics Inside

President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, carried out a sea sortie aboard INS Vagsheer (S26), the sixth and final submarine of the Kalvari class. Departing from the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka, she was joined by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, along with other senior Indian Navy officials.

This milestone distinguishes President Murmu as the first-ever head of state to board a Kalvari-class submarine for a sortie. She also becomes only the second Indian President to sail in a submarine, joining the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who completed a similar mission in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on February 13, 2006.

Accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, the President became the first-ever head of state to sail on a Kalvari-class vessel and only the second in Indian history to undertake a submarine sortie, following the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s 2006 voyage.

A Legacy of Historic Sorties

Earlier, on October 29, 2025, she flew in a Rafale fighter jet at the Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana, under the command of Group Captain Amit Gehani. These missions make her the only President in India's history to have undertaken sorties in two different IAF fighter jets.

President Murmu had previously demonstrated her engagement with the Indian Air Force by flying in two different frontline combat aircraft. In April 2023, she became India's first female President to undertake a sortie in a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam, piloted by Group Captain Naveen Kumar. 

"I am delighted to visit Air Force Station Ambala for my maiden flight on the Rafale aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The sortie on Rafale is an unforgettable experience for me," Murmu had said following her sortie. 

“This first flight on the potent Rafale aircraft has instilled in me a renewed sense of pride in the nation's defence capabilities.”

About INS Vagsheer

The INS Vagsheer is a Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarine, constructed by Mumbai’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) under a licensing agreement with the French Naval Group. Designed for versatility, the vessel is capable of executing anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, as well as specialised intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

The induction of INS Vagsheer signifies the successful conclusion of Project-75. This advanced submarine is equipped with six launch tubes and has the capacity to carry 18 weapons, including a mix of torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.

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