Retired crew remember building the iconic missile destroyer

INS Mumbai, India’s indigenous 6,000-ton missile destroyer, celebrated its silver jubilee on January 22. Retired officers and crew members, affectionately calling themselves the “Mumbaikars of INS Mumbai,” gathered at INS Trata in Worli to pay tribute to the warship. Commodore Bhupesh Tater (Retd) recalled watching the ship being built

INS Mumbai celebrates 25 years; ex-crew recall their ‘baby in the womb’

INS Mumbai at sea. PIC COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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INS Mumbai celebrates 25 years; ex-crew recall their ‘baby in the womb’

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INS Mumbai, the indigenous 6000-ton missile destroyer fitted with lethal weapons that played key roles in military standoffs, could send a shiver down its enemies’ spine. There are only a few places in Mumbai where you could hear the same ship being recalled as a “baby in the womb.” On the pleasantly crisp morning of INS Mumbai’s silver jubilee (January 22), we made our way to one of these places — INS Trata in Worli.

Veterans and officials who served INS Mumbai pay tribute at JK Kapur Circle. PICS/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI

At precisely 9.25 am, or 0925 hours in this case, Commodore Bhupesh Tater (Retd) led a short march from INS Trata to the JK Kapur Circle, where a model of INS Mumbai is on display. With a swift salute, the group wished the warship that they had all served, many more years of operation. “I saw it being built from the keel. It was unique because the Indian Navy went beyond its role, to pour their might and soul into collaborating with the Mazagon Docks to build INS Mumbai. Although she is based in Visakhapatnam now, we continue to call ourselves the ‘Mumbaikars of INS Mumbai’,” reveals Tater.

(left) Captain Jagmohan (Retd) chairman and director of Mazagon Dock Limited receives a memento from Commodore Tater (Retd) and Commander Bhagwat (Retd). PIC COURTESY/BHUPESH TATER

Over hot tea and firm handshakes, those who served the ship open up about their fond memories.

Ready for sacrifice

In 1997, I was appointed to the warship inspection team, where I oversaw the building of INS Mumbai. From seeing her as a baby in the womb at Mazagon Dock, I went on to operate the ship in 2002 after its commission. During the India-Pakistan standoff of 2001-02 aka Operation Parakram, we would patrol off the coast of Karachi. It was one such day when my fleet commander declared, “Be ready for ultimate sacrifice if need be.” It was a feeling I cannot put in words.
Commander Alok Bhagwat (Retd)

Decked like a bride

I was at the commissioning ceremony of the ship on January 22, 2001. Seeing a ship decked up, like a bride on the day of her wedding is an unforgettable sight. Nearly 7,000 people at the docks had worked for six years towards that day. Once the commissioning pennant is hoisted, the ship is no longer pieces of metal in a yard. It marks the shift from being ‘it’ to ‘she’; the beginning of a lifelong commitment with the bride.
Commodore Bhupesh Tater (Retd)

Yes, we built that

Captain Ramesh Babu (Retd)

Many, including Captain Ramesh Babu (Retd) who had served the ship joined the celebrations online from their home states. His favourite memory from the mighty warship came far from home, Down Under. “We once docked in Sydney as part of a visit. Later that day, I took a guided tour on a smaller local boat. When we sailed past INS Mumbai, the Australian tour guide quipped, ‘That’s a beautiful ship. It looks like India has received another warship from Russia.’ I promptly interjected, reassuring them that it was the INS Mumbai, fully made in India.”

Life at sea

Warships might look shiny and alluring on the outside, but life inside can be extremely stressful. Between 2004 and 2008, INS Mumbai visited more than 20 countries. Unlike other ships, a naval vessel can never turn back because of technical difficulties. The ship must keep moving. Life for us in the technical cadre was testing, sometimes leaving us no time for meals. You don’t realise how time flies when you’re at sea.
Master Chief (Mech), Hajari Lal Saini (Retd)