Article Posted on : - Dec 15, 2011

Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

NEW DELHI (PTI): China has been invited to witness the President's Fleet Review in Mumbai on December 20, but no such invitation has been extended to Pakistan.

"We have sent an invitation to China to witness the show in which President Pratibha Patil would review the naval might of the country", an Indian Navy spokesperson said here Wednesday adding that no such invitation was sent to Pakistan.

However, China has not yet confirmed its attendance at the mega event.

Invitations have been sent to the defence and military attaches of several friendly countries who would be coming to witness the occasion, they said.

Total 76 warships, including the sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat, 44 aircraft, four submarines and around 8000 navy would be showcased in the PFR as part of review by the President.

The PFR will also showcase the indigenously built warships, training ship SCC JAANU and sail ship INS Mhadei.

Patil, after a 21-gun salute, will sail past the warships, including indigenously built destroyers INS Delhi and INS Rajput, lined up off the coast Mumbai in the Presidential yacht.

Kilo-class and HWD-class submarines will also participate. The newly-inducted MiG-29K fighter jets will lead the Navy's aviation wing's fly-past during the three-and-a-half hour long ceremony.

It will be followed by different flying formations of Sea Harrier fighter aircraft, Tupolev maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft and number of helicopters.

The last such review of the naval fleet was in held in 2006 off the Visakhapatnam's coast when A P J Abdul Kalam was the President.