On May 29, 2020 The foundation stone for a Missile Park named ‘Agneeprastha’ was laid by Commodore Rajesh Debnath & a 2 MegaWatt(MW) solar photovoltaic plant was commissioned by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command(ENS) at INS Kalinga, Visakhapatnam.
About the solar photovoltaic plant
i.A 2MW plant was commissioned in line with the initiative of the Union government to promote solar power and an objective to achieve 100 GigaWatt(GW) of solar power by 2022 as part of the National Solar Mission.
ii.The plant is the largest plant in the ENC & has an estimated life of 25 years.
Gist about Agneeprastha:
Aim– Agneeprastha aims to capture glimpses of Missile History of INS Kalinga
Objective
- To provide a one-stop arena for motivation and stimulation of people regarding the missiles and related technologies, from school children to Naval personnel and their families.
- Intends to boost the ownership feeling & pride in the role of the Unit & highlight the necessity of contribution of all personnel irrespective of rank/trade towards the overall objective of ordnance availability, reliability and delivery on target, each and every time.
Honour– The Park honours the award of the prestigious Unit Citation to INS Kalinga for the year 2018-19.
Establishment– It is set up with a replica of missiles and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) which showcase the evolution of missiles handled by the unit. The exhibits are made from scrap / obsolete inventory which have been reconditioned in-house.
Main attraction– The P-70 ‘Ametist’, an underwater launched anti-ship missile from the arsenal of the old ‘Chakra’ (Charlie-1 submarine) which was in service with Indian Navy during 1988-91 is the main attraction of the park.
Dedicated to– After the completion of the missile park, it will be dedicated to all the Officers, Sailors and Support Staff of INS Kalinga, who have served in this premier op-support Base of the ENC since its establishment.
About INS Kalinga:
- INS Kalinga is a premier Naval Establishment located on the Visakhapatnam, Bheemunipatnam beach road. It is about 25 kilometers from the city and 40 kilometers from the Naval Base & was commissioned on 21 Nov 1985.
- It has taken significant strides in Green Initiatives including afforestation, numerous plantation drives, coastal cleanup drives and protection of the Geo-Heritage site “Erra Matti Dibbalu”
About Indian Navy:
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Chief of the Naval Staff(CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
