President Murmu undertakes submarine sortie at Karwar naval base

President Droupadi Murmu, on Sunday, December 28, 2025, conducted a sortie on the Indian Navy’s frontline submarine, INS Vaghsheer, off the West coast.

Ms. Murmu became the second President to carry out a submarine attack. In February 2006, APJ Abdul Kalam became the first president to experience a submarine sortie.

Naval Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi accompanied President Murmu during the sortie in the Kalvari-class submarine from Karwar naval base in Karnataka, officials said.

The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

In this photo published on December 28, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi during a sortie on the Navy’s indigenous Kalvari-class submarine, INS Vaghsheer, at Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. Photo: X/@rashtrapatibhvn/via PTI

“President Droupadi Murmu embarked Indian Navy’s indigenous Kalvari class submarine, INS Vaghsheer, at Karwar Naval Base,” the President’s secretariat posted on social media.

The President, wearing a Navy uniform, waved to naval personnel before entering the submarine.

INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project, was put into service with the Navy in January.

In this photo published on December 28, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi during a sortie on the Navy’s indigenous Kalvari-class submarine, INS Vaghsheer, at Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. Photo: X/@rashtrapatibhvn/via PTI

According to Navy officials, this is one of the quietest and most versatile diesel-electric submarines in the world.

It is designed to undertake a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance and special operations.

Armed with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and advanced sonar systems, the submarine also has a modular structure, allowing for future upgrades such as the integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology.

The Indian Navy is developing the Karwar base keeping in mind India’s long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region.