A file photo of INS Cannanore [M68]

Indian Naval Ships, the minesweepers 'Konkan', 'Cannanore' and 'Cuddalore', were decommissioned in a ceremony at Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam today.

Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral M S Pawar was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

The three retired commissioning Commanding Officers of INS Cannanore, INS Cuddalore and INS Konkan, Rear Admiral Ravi Gaikwad, Rear Admiral PK Nair and Commodore Mohandas were the guests of honour.

The ships retired as operational ships after three decades of service in the Indian Navy, a navy release said.

The decommissioning ceremony was attended by 38 erstwhile Commanding Officers and nearly 500 personnel who served on them, it said.

Vice Admiral Pawar paid tribute to the crew of the ships and highlighted the contributions of the vesels to the country's maritime security and their participation in various operations, ranging over three decades.

As part of the decommissioning ceremony, a ceremonial dinner was held on March 22, followed bya 'Barakhana' for retired and serving sailors and their families this afternoon.

Each of these minesweepers sailed nearly 30,000 nautical miles during their operational life, which is comparable to circumnavigating the globe four and a half times over, the release said.

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