The annual awards function of the Western Fleet (WF), Fleet Evening 2022, or ‘FLING’ as the event is popularly called, commemorating the accomplishments of the ‘Sword Arm’ of the Indian Navy, over the past year, was held at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on 24 July 2022.
Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command was the chief guest at the event, hosted by Rear Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. During the function, the Fleet Operations Officer presented the Annual Report of the activities/ achievements of the Fleet over the past year.
The FLING 22 showcased a stunning entertainment programme created completely by the in-house talent of the Western Fleet and their families. In the Fleet award ceremony, a total of 21 trophies, representing varied dimensions of maritime operations were awarded to meritorious ships. These include INS Chennai – Best Ship, INS Talwar – Most Spirited Ship and INS Aditya – Best Ship in Tankers & OPVs category. All awards recognised overall excellence and valuable contribution of individual ships and the gallant crew, who have maintained constant vigil in service to the Nation.
The Fleet expanded its footprint into the Red Sea, western edges of Persian Gulf, Deep Water Channel in Gujarat, to Andamans & Nicobar islands. These deployments included Mission Based Deployments, Anti-Narcotics missions, Presence cum Surveillance missions, as also EEZ surveillance. The fleet undertook a record setting number of firings in all domains. The WF ships extensively participated in Maritime Partnership Exercises and numerous bilateral exercises across IOR and beyond, including Konkan with Royal Navy, Varuna with French Navy and PASSEX with Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Carrier strike group.
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