For a week, fishing boats have stayed away from the seven-metre-long Sankhumugham coast as the area has transformed into a high-security naval arena. Residents are stunned to see warships and submarines stationed offshore, an unexpected sight after the rebuilt beach reopened.
A massive lineup including 19 warships, a submarine, 4 fast interceptor crafts, and 32 aircraft, such as P8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, MiGs, and Hawks, will participate in today’s exercise marking Navy Day, celebrated on December 4 to honour Operation Trident (1971).
President Droupadi Murmu, the chief guest, will witness the grand display before returning to Delhi tomorrow.
Southern Naval Command Chief Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena revealed that the Navy has in-principle approval for building 65 new ships and 9 submarines, with 51 ships already under construction. Procurement of Rafale-M fighters for INS Vikrant is complete. Work will soon begin on Navy facilities planned on 4 acres allotted in Muttathara.
In a major strategic development, the BrahMos missile, a key weapon showcased in Operation Sindoor, will now be manufactured at the Nettukaltheri open prison campus in Thiruvananthapuram, with the Supreme Court approving 180 acres for the DRDO unit.
The court has also cleared 32 acres each for establishing the National Forensic Science University and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) battalion headquarters, strengthening Kerala’s role in national security infrastructure.
Of the 457 acres at Nettukaltheri, 200 acres will remain with the prison, while 257 acres will be repurposed for the three approved national projects.
